Forever Rising Phoenix
by rocknrollprincess131
Summary: Delilah and Daryl open up minutely to each other about their pasts. From there, they are able to take down the walkers at the prison, where Delilah comes across an unexpected guest. Sorry for the sucky summary, the next one will be better. PLEASE Read and Review! NO FLAMES!
1. Chapter One: Unknown Barricades

**Author's Note: Hello world and my wonderful readers! Only one more month to the date until TWD returns! I came up with this idea not too long before the mid-season finale, and with the success of _Nights in White_ Satin, I wanted to delve into this more with a different show and a darker approach, as well as implementing an original character in that plays a big role in the storyline. I was a little reluctant to post this because I hadn't seen the mid-season premiere, but I got caught up in a writing flurry and decided to just go with it! This first chapter may be a little slow, but things definitely pick up in the next chapter, so keep reading! I hope this story is as well received as the others. :)**

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.**_

_**Chapter One: Unknown Barricades**_

_**Somewhere in Georgia**_

They had no idea what the time was or the season they were in, nor could they remember the last time they knew the exact date a day was. The only indication of knowing such things was to judge by the sun, the moon, and the wind. Rick Grimes looked up from his spot on top of a hill in the middle of a suburban street, seeing the moon slowly set and the sun in the eastern part of the pale amethyst sky, meaning it was most likely between six and eight in the morning.

He sighed and hung his head down. It had been a little over a month since The Governor and his troops attacked the prison, causing the group to separate in the midst of the ensuing chaos. Rick had genuinely meant what he said about letting them stay. They would be in different cell blocks, what would be the harm? In tough times, people should put whatever differences they may have aside and stick together. Sadly, that was wishful thinking. Zombie apocalypse or not, it was dog eat dog, survival of the fittest all the way.

The image of a smiling Hershel being beheaded by Phillip still haunted him. Rick remembered learning in his high school history class when The French Revolution was being covered, that when beheaded, the decapitated brain could still properly function from as short as a couple minutes to as long as three hours. Either way, it was too late for poor Hershel, who had really become a loving father figure to the group.

Rick thought back on Maggie and Beth, whom he happened to catch a glance of in his peripheral vision. The girls already had fearful looks on their faces, but they became naturally hysterical after seeing their own father, the last link to their family, murdered. After that, it was all a flurry of fired gunshots as Rick and Phillip brawled. He was sure to be a dead man if Michonne hadn't stabbed The Governor through the heart. He wondered where Michonne had gone off to after rescuing him. Any of them, really. Glenn, Maggie, Beth, Daryl, Tyresse, Sasha, Bob. The last thing Rick told Carl was to not look back, and they didn't. He didn't know if he would ever see any of them again…

Maybe he shouldn't have let Carol go. Killing Karen and David may have been unjust, but did she really have a reason to do it again? Who knows? She was better off and somewhere far away, oblivious to the incident.

"Dad?" Rick turned around to see Carl, his fourteen year old son, walk up behind him. He felt so sorry for him. A fourteen year old boy should be doing normal things, like reading comic books and riding skateboards, not killing zombies. Carl had endured so much in the past two years (or what he assumed was two years). From getting shot to losing Lori and now Judith, Rick could see the cracks in the strong façade his son surrounded himself in. The bright eyed shy boy that Carl used to be was nearly gone, although, Rick would still catch glimpses of his innocence from time to time. All of this made him wonder if things would ever change, for they had long given up hope, if they would ever be truly happy again. All they had was each other now, and they needed to do the best they could at everything possible to make sure it stayed that way.

Shortly after leaving the prison, Carl confessed that he had a perfect shot of Phillip, but that Daryl told him _not _to fire. Rick could see the guilt was wearing away at him just by the look on his face, even though he tried to hide it. It was just like how he had felt about not killing the zombie on the spot that ultimately ripped Dale apart. Not only guilt, but regret. If he didn't listen to Daryl and fired at Phillip, he could have ended it like he said. Maybe they'd still have Judith. The image of her bloody car seat was forever etched into both of their minds, along with more sorrow that they hadn't been able to grab her before it was too late.

"Yeah, Carl. Did you get rid of them?"

He nodded. "Yep, now we can raid the houses. I checked the last five, they were all empty."

"Good job, son. Let's go."

They walked back to the house that Carl had walked the zombies out of. This was the tenth neighborhood they hit in about a month, for it was an all day job executing the hidden walkers and looking through every nook and cranny of a house to find whatever they may need. They had found some things to last them for a while, but by no means had they come across a surplus of food and supplies.

It was easy to indicate which houses had been properly evacuated and which ones had missed the boat, judging by the bare cabinets for the former and the skull remnants and walkers for the latter, which ended up having more to choose from.

"We should make this quick, we have a long day ahead of us, and you know the time is valuable. I'm getting a bad vibe here." Rick could have sworn he saw a shadow going back and forth between the houses, and although it had been light enough, he couldn't make out a face. Perhaps he was having his hallucinations again, but it couldn't be, could it?

Rick and Carl walked inside. It looked like it could have been a nice house at one point, but now it looked like a tornado swept through it. Furniture ripped apart, holes in the walls, a broken staircase railing and broken windows, stained carpets, and most of the doors were hanging off the hinges. They cautiously walked through what was believed to be the living room into the kitchen. What they didn't know was that there were walkers that Carl hadn't seen.

They immediately went to work, searching all the cabinets and drawers. Carl opened a drawer by the dishwasher to find a handful of large kitchen knives and a sharpening stick. "Whoa! Look at this knife set, Dad!" Carl was pretty excited as Rick walked over to inspect the set.

"What do you know, there's still some good ones in here. Great work, Carl."

They exchanged a smile that was cut short by the sound of rustling upstairs, causing them to look up at the ceiling. "Did you check upstairs?"

"Yes, the whole house. I cleared the walkers out and nobody was here."

The apprehension that Rick had in the back of his mind began to creep up a little, but forced himself to shrug it off. "I'm sure it's probably the sounds of the house. Let's hurry it up, though."

Along with the knives, they found three boxes of macaroni and cheese, pots, and a bunch of soup cans. This was turning out to be one of the better raids they had been on, it would be enough food to last for about a week.

"I think we've found everything non-perishable here, now for upstairs." They grabbed their findings and walked out, but not before coming face to face with three walkers. These walkers must have been basketball stars before turning, not only judging by their uniforms, but also because they were taller than Rick, most likely over 6"2_. Ahh, fuck! That's what the sound upstairs was! I knew it!_ Carl took out a knife and Rick already had his hand on his gun, they were ready to attack when…

_**SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH! **_

The sound emitted loudly, and one by one, the zombies became decapitated instantly. It happened so quickly that neither Rick nor Carl could see what it was that saved them, until they saw something flying back the direction it came from, followed by a snapping noise, which made them turn around. There was a girl on the staircase landing. Rick scrunched up his eyebrows, staring her down, as did Carl. _It's that figure I saw earlier! That was who it must have been upstairs! _

"_**Who are you?"**_

_**THATS WHEN TWD THEME SCORE STARTS PLAYING ;]**_

_**WHO WAS IT THAT SAVED THEM? FIND OUT IN CHAPTER TWO: SALVAGE , COMING SOON! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!**_


	2. Chapter Two: Salvage

**Author's Note: Hello world and my wonderful readers! I've broken my streak of publishing one chapter for a new story! Lol just kidding, it just seems like that ;P. Sorry for the delay, I've been sick with the stomach flu. I feel a little better now, but I finished my chapter yesterday. Sorry if Rick and Carl seem a little out of character, but I have a perspective on that: What would be the point of FanFiction if some of the characters always resembled how they were on the shows? Rick and Carl are just trying to get a feel of Delilah, more of her back story is revealed a bit in the next chapter. Thank you so much for the reviews, so far! To answer the one guest reviewer: I will attempt to make this as close to the rest of the Season 4 story line as possible, I already did that with the previous chapter with Carl leading the zombies out of the house, since that was the clip they showed on _Talking Dead_ last month. I hope you enjoy it! **

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.**_

_**Chapter Two: Salvage**_

"_**Who are you?"**_

The girl was crouched down on the staircase landing and had one arm raised, holding a boomerang in her hand, that must have been what decapitated the walkers. She had medium olive skin with aquamarine colored eyes and long chestnut brown hair. She wore a dark pink and blue long sleeved off the shoulder tank top, black spandex yoga pants, black fingerless gloves, and leopard Doc Martens along with a gold and multicolored rhinestoned phoenix necklace. Rick guessed by how young she looked that she was probably around Beth's age, but there seemed something familiar about her…

"Rick Grimes?"

_How does she know my name?_

Rick and Carl glanced over at each other, confused, before turning back and nodding. "Y-Yes. Who are you?"

The girl sighed, what seemed to be like relief. "Finally." She rose to her feet and Rick couldn't help but check her out. Long legs, slender hips, large breasts that he was pretty sure were hers. He didn't know where she came from, but he knew that she was definitely a knock out, for she had the body of a Radio City Rockette. A lotus flower in the zombie apocalypse. "I thought this was going to take forever and a half." She sauntered down the stairs.

Rick was so perplexed by all of this, it seemed very bizarre. "What do you mean by that?

"You are not an easy man to find, Rick Grimes." She laughingly smiled as she joined them at the bottom of the stairs, before looking at Carl. She was even prettier up close, with long dark lashes and pink pouty lips. "You must be Carl, they said you wore your daddy's sheriff hat. I've got to say, it looks pretty awesome, kid."

The young boy blushed madly. "Th-th-thanks." Rick had to restrain the snickers. This girl was probably ten years older than him and he had never seen his son have such a reaction like he did over the female sex, not even with Beth, whom he knew Carl had a crush on.

The girl also hid her giggles, although this was not the first time she'd receive this reaction, nor would it be the last. "I'm sorry, I forgot to answer your question. My name is Delilah Daltrey. No relation to Roger. I wish." She scoffed and extended her hand out, shaking hands with both of them.

"Who?" Carl asked, which made Delilah's mouth slightly agape.

"You don't know who Roger Daltrey is, from The Who, one of the greatest rock and roll bands that once existed?"

Carl was already a little nervous being around her, but now he felt like an idiot not knowing the answer. "N-no."

Delilah smiled reassuringly at him and messed with the hat. "You've got a lot to learn. It's not your fault, what with the great musicians of your generation. Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, no wonder you don't know The Who. Don't worry, I'll fill you in on the classics." She leaned against the wall and winked at him, making him further blush.

Rick cleared his throat, something about this seemed off and he had to find out more. Carl's reaction was also making him a little uncomfortable. "Seeing as you know who we are, how did you know to come looking for us?"

She turned back to Rick. "I was sent to look for you by some group I met an hour away last month. Apparently, they were residing in the big prison up north when a one eyed freak barraged the place and guillotined a man. After that, they all got separated and spread out. Sounded like total pandemonium."

"Hershel." Rick said, and she nodded.

"Yes, that was the name the girl told me. Her name's Maggie Greene, it was her father, and she has a sister, Beth."

Carl lit up. "You found Maggie and all them?"

Delilah nodded again. "Well, not all of them, yet. Don't get me wrong, I plan on finding _all of you_."

Rick liked her enthusiasm. "Who do you have with you now? It was a pretty large group, close to fifty members. There was a swine flu like virus that broke out right before the riot. Medicine was found on one of the last raids, but they hadn't been cured entirely and were still quarantined."

"I know, I've been filled in on all of this, multiple times. I came across Maggie, Tyresse, Sasha, and Bob almost a month ago. From there, we drove south and found a bus that had a bunch of kids and Maggie's husband, Glenn, inside. It seems like they were better by the time we found them. We're still looking for Michonne, Daryl, Beth, and Judith. I think they mentioned a Carol in there?"

Rick shook his head. "I'm glad Maggie and Glenn are back together, but there's no longer a Carol in the group. We found Judith's car seat covered in blood, there's no way she survived the attack." His voice cracked on that last sentence, and could feel the tears welling up. He had failed his baby girl, Daddy's little princess, by not grabbing her first. Carl's eyes were already brimming with tears, the only part he had left of his mother Lori was gone with her.

"That's not what Glenn told me, he said he saw somebody carrying her right before the bus sped off. Carol's not in the group? You better tell that to these two little girls, Lizzie and Mika. They keep asking about her and we just keep telling them we'll find her."

"Really? He saw Judith?" Carl blinked his eyes and let the now happy tears fall down as he smiled for the first time in a month.

Delilah once again nodded. "Yes. Now, we should probably get out of here. I've pretty much cleared the upstairs and looks like you've gotten everything there is downstairs. Besides, Madison is waiting for us." She watched the two of them once again look puzzled. "Madison's my best friend, met her about a year ago, not too long after I was on my own. She used to be a rodeo clown in Mississippi, barrel of laughs, that one."

Delilah walked past Rick, leaving him temporarily distracted by the unintentionally seductive way her tiny heart shaped ass swayed back and forth… but more questions brought him back. "Wait a second." He gently grabbed her arm and she turned around, aquamarine meeting light royal blue. Her eyes seemed honest and innocent, but like Carl's, a bit weary. They both were too young to have such a look in their eyes.

"Before we leave, I have three questions I need answered?" Delilah raised an eyebrow at Grizzly Adams. "How many walkers and humans have you killed and why?"

She paused and took a deep breath before replying. "Nombies? Nightmare zombies, or "Nombies" as I call them. I lost count at maybe fifty or more. Humans? Five. Some biker militia tried to attack me last year, and I had to. It was either them or me, and I wasn't about to be raped. If it weren't for that reason, I wouldn't have done it. That, and I wouldn't sacrifice myself for a walker, either. Before you ask, my weapon was a gun, but I ran out of bullets. I came across this boomerang in it's holster when I was looking for knives in an antique store. Sharpened the wood and trained it to decapitate walker heads for three months. Now, it's my only weapon of choice. Don't get me wrong, I still have the knives."

_She has discipline as well as determination. I like her already. Reminds me of somebody that I used to know… _

"Where are you from?" Carl asked.

"I'm from Simi Valley, which is literally the armpit of California. My father passed away a few years ago, and my mother went to Europe when the outbreak rumors started swirling. It was just me, my older sister Christine, and my fiancé, Billy. We packed up everything in an abandoned semi-truck and a BMW X5 and split to Texas, where Billy's family lived. Unfortunately, when we got there, they were all turned to walkers. Killing them was a fun day." Delilah rolled her eyes sarcastically. "There's more to the story. Shortly after, we got separated when a swarm of walkers crashed the house. They pushed me out of the way and made a run for it. That was the last time I ever saw Christine and Billy. As far as I'm concerned, they're both dead and simplified. To this day, I still don't know if them abandoning me was deliberate or not."

Now Carl could see the sadness on her face. For as confident as she seemed to be, she did appear a bit lost. She _was _lost, just like them. Except, she didn't have a family. At least he had his father. Carl could sense something in his father that he didn't trust her entirely.

"I'm sorry for everything you've been through, you'll have to excuse my skepticism over all this. How can we trust you, we don't even know who you are." Even though he thought everybody should stick together, trust was another thing entirely. Delilah glared at him, slightly perturbed.

"I know you don't, but what would I have to gain from steering you wrong? Look around you, Rick. We aren't at Disneyland, we're in Satan's Backyard! I'm not a bad person, I've made some questionable decisions in my life, but I'm trying to redeem myself. We've all been lead astray during this hellish time, but we need to put that aside. We don't know each other, so this is entirely fresh ground. Functioning humans are literally a dying breed. We need each other to survive. There are people that are worried sick, that are concerned, that love you. Do you realize how lucky you are to have that? I don't, and I haven't in a long time, a sad fact I've come to embrace. If I did have such things, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to get back to them. We cannot afford to be enemies. I know the last time you tried to make peace with somebody, it ended badly. This time around won't be like that. I am offering you a reconciliation to the group you've been separated from for a month. If you want, consider me nothing more than a middleman in all of this. So, are you with me or are you against me? At least come back with us and wait out the return of the others, then decide if you want to leave. Why not wait this out in a place with food and a bed? You both look like you could use a break from all this."

It truly was one of the most passionate speeches he had heard in a long time, just like the speech he had made to the group the night after leaving Hershel's farm, but he had a feeling that she actually meant every word. There was an old saying about the eyes being the windows to the human soul, and hers were both truthful and enchanting. Besides, it wasn't permanent. It would be a trial run until everybody got back together. What did they have to lose? He doubted that she had any association with The Governor, she seemed truly disgusted when she reiterated the riot as told to her. Either way, Delilah was right, they _did _need a break, and it would be wonderful to see some of the others again. He needed to get a better feel of her and her people, which is why they had to go with them. If anything were to happen, they both had that newly found half set of knives…

"Ok, we'll go."

Carl sighed, relieved. He couldn't wait to see the others and hoped the rest would be found soon. Delilah smiled a mega watt smile, feeling triumphant.

"Perfect! Let's hit the road, then!"

Carl tried to move past them, but Rick grabbed him by the arm.

"Carl, where are your manners? Ladies first." Zombie apocalypse or not, he was going to make sure Carl still acted like a proper young man towards a lady.

The young boy blushed further. "S-s-sorry."

This was making Delilah blush, also. Carl was absolutely adorable, and she couldn't wait to see how Rick would look once he rid himself of that awful beard.

"Oh, it's fine. Go ahead, Carl. I don't mind." She had broken her confidence twice, which only showcased that she had a very genuine side to her, exhibiting both sad and nervous emotions. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all… They watched Carl walk out, and Delilah turned back to Rick. There was definitely some sort of spark between them, even if he was twenty years or so older than her. "Thank you." She smiled, trying everything not to blush. Although Delilah felt an attraction, no way was she going to let up on it. She was already a bit too impulsive as it was. "I thought "Southern Manners" were nothing more than an urban legend."

Rick laughed, for what felt like the first time in he couldn't remember when. "Not with me, it's not. Maybe you haven't been in the South for very long."

"Good to know, and maybe I haven't." They both walked out and followed Carl. This all felt a little surreal, but he had to be hopeful that something good could come from this, but there was something he had forgotten to ask her.

"By the way, Delilah, how _have _you been surviving for the past year?"

_**WHAT DO WE THINK OF DELILAH AND WHAT SHE'S ALL ABOUT? HOW HAS SHE BEEN SURVIVING FOR THE PAST YEAR? FIND OUT IN CHAPTER TWO: JELLBANY , COMING SOON! WE WILL ALSO SEE MORE OF WHO SHE'S BEEN SURROUNDING HERSELF WITH, AND SOME WALKING DEAD CHARACTERS! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!**_


	3. Chapter Three: Long Way To Paradise

**Author's Note: Hello world and my wonderful readers! I am finally over the stomach flu and am posting two chapters in one day! This chapter was meant to be longer, but I decided to divide them up and not have a whole bunch of events going on at once. I also needed some time to develop the other original characters that appear in Delilah's group. Sorry if it seems like most of this chapter is basically Delilah reiterating all the seasons, but it's not, I promise! We find out a little bit about her and as well as Madison, a member of her group. Madison is a barrel of laughs and meant to come off as wacky, NOT obnoxious! **

**The inspiration for this story was based around the idea I came up with of everybody living in a Jelly Belly factory! Lmao I AM OBSESSED WITH JELLY BELLIES! That and the idea is out of the box, which is exactly how I am. The title of the chapter randomly came to me and I didn't want to forget it, and I think it's fitting. Also, the name rhyming game is a rant that I've been on for the past almost two months. SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME THEY'VE NOTICED ALMOST ALL THE NAMES OF THE CHARACTERS IN TWD RHYME! ;). I hope everybody likes the cover image I made for the story. If you haven't figured it out, Delilah is me. ;P Hehehe sorry but it's true! **

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE OR JELLY BELLY,. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), DAVID KLEIN AND THE JELLY BELLY COMPANY, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.**_

_**Chapter Three: Long Way To Paradise**_

_"**By the way, Delilah, how ****have ****you been surviving for the past year?"**_

She turned around and smiled at Rick, kind of surprised by her own self that she hadn't told the story sooner. "Remember that semi-truck I mentioned earlier? Right before my sister pushed me, I managed to snatch the keys. That truck has enough supplies in it to last for an eternity. Billy, although incredibly hot, was also a total nerd. He was one of those paranoid basket cases that had to prepare ahead of time for the end of the world. Boy, did he get the last laugh when this went down."

All of the doomsday preppers were _indeed _laughing their asses off, they had turned out to be the smart ones in the end.

"How far in advance had he been saving up for?" Carl asked as they walked to the end of the cul-de-sac.

"Honestly? About three years, did it all by becoming an extreme couponer. I'm surprised that it all fit in the truck, the rest fit in the BMW. Even if they are alive, that's all they got. You'll see everything when we get to Jellbany."

Rick and Carl shot each other a perplexed look. "Jellbany?"

She nodded. "Yes. Remember the Jelly Belly factory that opened a few years ago? I found it abandoned, that's where I live with my group." They stopped walking and Delilah turned to them. "Sorry if this comes off as odd…"

Before they could ask, she turned back to the street and started making all these strange sounds. At first, they sounded like a bird, but then, it sounded like something else… a dolphin! While bizarre, Rick was more worried about walkers hearing. Sure enough, they did. A trio was coming towards them. As they were about to pull out their weapons, a huge semi-truck sped up and demolished the walkers, killing them instantly. The truck was covered in Hello Kitty decal stickers and had Van Halen's "Dance The Night Away" blasting from it as it halted to a stop and a woman stepped out. She was a curvy red head with hazel eyes, a bulbous nose, and a toothy grin. Her breasts were twice as big as Delilah's and her hips were wider as well, maybe it was the outfit she was wearing of bedazzled high waisted denim shorts, a red T shirt, and flip flops.

"Good Golly Trim Polly! You found them! Aren't you just the smartest girl in all of Georgia?"

Delilah laughed, walking up to her. "I don't know about the smartest, but I do know that I'm driven. I told you we'd find them!" She squealed and jumped in Madison's arms, giving her a big hug. They then proceeded to high five and bump hips, like it was their signature handshake. It kind of made Rick and Carl laugh. Delilah turned back to them. "Rick and Carl Grimes, meet Madison Barker, the fiercest rodeo clown the state of Mississippi has to offer."

Madison cackled a big hearty laugh, making her wobbly bits jiggle. "Damn straight, ten time champion in the tri-county! It is so good to finally meet you both!" She swooped both Rick and Carl up in a huge bear hug, squeezing the life out of them. Delilah couldn't help but start laughing. They both looked a little uncomfortable, but she had caught them off guard, and finally set them down. "We've been hearing so much about y'all from that lovely group of yours. It's Rick this, Carl that, they're both good with a baseball bat! Delilah here has been looking far and wide for you, wanting to help out your friends. She's like Mother Theresa but with bigger and better tits!" Madison started cackling again, it sounded like a deep hyena. She was kooky, but seemed harmless.

"You'll have to excuse her, she's the group's screwball. I guess that's why she turned out to be a rodeo clown." Delilah wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes, watching Rick and Carl.

"It's fine, you just caught us a little by surprise is all. We're not used to anybody being overly excited." That was the truth. Despite all the disarray that had transpired over the past couple of years, there were moments of tranquility, even if they were short-lived, it was something one could definitely get used to, and there wasn't anything rowdy happening before all this happened either.

"I don't think anybody is, but that's Maddie for ya. Never a dull moment, though. We ready to get out of here?"

Rick and Carl looked at one another. This was it, the way back home, back to their people. They turned back to her and nodded.

"Yes, we are."

"Perfect. You can sit in the front with us, but you'll have to squat. Maddie, give me the keys, I'm driving."

Madison threw her the keys and walked around to the other side of the truck. "Of course there's never a dull moment with Maddie the Bullette! Yee-haw!" Rick and Carl got inside as Madison followed. "I'll be showing you boys some fun times, gotta gets y'all to smile at some point. Come on, Delilah, let's get this show rooten-tooten on the road!"

Delilah rolled her eyes and started the car. "Your lingo is something I still can't get used to, but I'll manage."

Madison imitated a truck fog horn as they drove off.

_**30 Minutes Later…**_

They drove on the highway, having to zig zag between the abandoned cars. "Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles played on the radio. It was the first car in a long time that had a working clock with the correct time. _8:40 _it read, indicating that Rick was close by being able to tell the time by looking at the sky. Madison kept going on and on about her rodeo days.

"There I was, it was me against Big Bertha, the toughest clown in the county. I was determined to beat her. That gun went off and our bulls started racing towards one another, guns blazing. They came at each other so fast that we both got knocked off our asses!" She guffawed, finding this all to be funny. Things still felt a little awkward for Rick and Carl, even though they smiled and nodded. Carl leaned against the metal wall, drifting in and out of sleep. All they could think about was seeing Maggie and the others, and how'd they find the rest. Delilah could feel the tension, and knew that Maddie wasn't helping matters.

"Madison, take it down a notch. You're talking their ears off and they're exhausted. Let them be, I'm sure they've heard enough about rodeo clowns to last them a lifetime."

Her jaw dropped to the floor. "What you talking about? There ain't no way a person could hear 'nuff about them rodeo clowns! Crazy talk."

"I'm just saying, it's not even ten in the morning yet and you're bouncing off the walls." She turned and looked over at her friend with a big smile. "Love ya!"

Madison snorted but smiled back. "Love ya, too."

Rick cleared his throat. "So, Delilah, what exactly have you been told about us, how much do you really know?"

She looked up at him in the rear view mirror, their eyes meeting again. Rick still couldn't place who she reminded him off, and it was driving him crazy. Carl was still a little nervous around her, even though she had tried to make conversation with him throughout the car ride. Delilah wasn't sure if she was mistaken, but she felt a little bit of an attraction between her and Rick. He was obviously checking her out in the house earlier, and he seemed to have some great qualities about him. Intelligence, courage, wanting to rationalize situations, leadership, politeness, and she could already tell he was handsome underneath his mangled beard. Could she really get involved with a widower? It made her think back on something her mother said long ago, about never being with a widower because you'll never live up to the deceased spouse. Would he even want to get involved with her? Now she was getting ahead of herself, nothing would happen because he would probably leave once everybody was back together. Delilah sighed, this was going to be a long story.

"Well, I know that you were shot not too long before the apocalypse broke out, and when you woke up, everybody and everything as you knew it was gone. You went to Atlanta and after getting trapped in a tank, Glenn rescued you and brought you with him and his group, where you were reunited with Carl and your wife, Lori. After that, you selflessly went back trying to save Daryl's brother Merle, but he was M.I.A. but stole the truck you had. When you got back, there was a zombie attack that killed Andrea's sister Amy and Carol's asshole husband. From there, you all went to the Center for Disease Control to see if there was a cure yet, but all you got was a night of solitude in exchange for a batch of crazy when Dr. Jenner tried to lock you in for the CDC explosion. Everybody managed to escape, but one of your members, Jacqui, decided to stay behind with The Mad Doctor when the building blew up.

I know that after Atlanta, you went to Fort Benning where Carol's daughter Sophia went missing and Carl got shot, which is how you met The Greenes. Hershel saved Carl but then your buddy Shane ended up going psycho and releasing the zombies that were hidden in the farm, one of them being Sophia. On one of your trips into town, you got ambushed by some gang and ended up taking one of their members back to the farm when he got impaled. You were going to let him go but changed your mind. The kid was either going to live or die, but Shane ended up snapping his neck. You lost another one of your group members, Dale, when his stomach was ripped open by a surprise zombie attack. I know that before all that happened, you found out that Lori and Shane were having an affair and that she was pregnant. Some best friend if you ask me. The two of you got into it, you killed Shane, and Carl had to shoot him when he reanimated, which alerted the walkers and you all had to get the hell out of there. Beth's husband Jimmy died and you ended up losing Andrea. They weren't too happy to hear about Shane, but being the noble man that I've been told you are, you promised to keep to your word about protecting the group.

Once you left the farm, the group became nomads until you found the abandoned prison, which to your surprise, wasn't entirely abandoned. There were five inmates there, two were killed but you split up the inventory with the rest and lived in separate cell blocks. I was told that Hershel was bitten by a zombie and you had to cut half his leg off. The inmate that you left in the zombie infested basketball court ended up making it out of there alive and triggered the alarm system, alerting the zombies. Everybody got separated in the midst of the chaos. I know that Lori went into labor and Maggie was the one to perform the C-section to deliver Judith by cutting her open. She didn't make it, but the baby did, and Carl had to shoot Lori to prevent her from rising from the dead. It all kind of caused you to have a nervous breakdown, and it got worse when Merle ended up kidnapping Glenn and Maggie and bringing them to Woodbury. Michonne saw the whole thing and came to the prison, she then brought you back to Woodbury, but not before finding out that Carol actually lived because T-Bone sacrificed himself for her. There was an accidental killing in Woodbury. You rescued Glenn and Maggie but lost Daryl, he came back with Merle. I know The Governor attacked the prison and you found out Andrea was still alive and had been rescued by Michonne before being brought to Woodbury. You tried to make peace with The Governor, but he'd only back off if you sacrificed Michonne, since she killed his daughter and stabbed him in the eye. You gave her up but Merle let her go, then somehow he was killed and Daryl had to shoot him. The Governor launched another attack on the prison and everybody repelled, but also lost Andrea. I know you brought a lot of the residents of Woodbury back to the prison, including Tyresse and Sasha, both of whom you previously rejected.

Everything was going pretty great for six months until the damn swine flu broke out. After getting medicine, things were almost back to normal until The One Eyed Freak kidnapped Michonne and Hershel, and invaded the prison with a new group of warriors and a tanker. Again, you tried to be amicable and say that their group could reside in a different cell block of the prison, but he wasn't having any of it and chopped Hershel's head off. Following that, everything else was a haze of gun fire and more walkers. Glenn was on the bus with the kids and it sped off before Maggie, Tyresse, Sasha, and Bob had a chance to get on it. Everybody went their own separate ways. I found the foursome a few days later at a gas station when I was on a supply run. They were like you, skeptical at first, but they finally agreed to come along. Ever since then, we've spent every day looking for the rest of your group, taking shifts and scouting out locations. And that's everything I know."

There was a long silence following, with the exception of the radio and Madison picking her nails. Rick and Carl were dumbfounded after hearing the past two years reiterated for them by a stranger. It was a lot for anybody to take in, but it had been even harder to actually live and endure it.

"Wow, you really weren't kidding when they filled you in on everything, huh?"

"Yeah, it's like you know us." Carl said.

She shrugged. "Well, like I previously mentioned, I've been informed on every single detail. Many, many times. It was mostly Glenn and Maggie, but I don't mind. With a search like this, it's important to know as much as you can about the person."

Rick nodded. "I agree." Delilah was a beautiful girl and very admirable in his eyes. She seemed tough, fierce, strong-minded, intuitive, as well as being sweet and witty. He could understand why Carl was so shy around her, but he'd be lying if he didn't admit to himself that in the forty five minutes he had known her, she had made his heart beat a little bit faster than normal. "Why are you wanting to help us, though?"

"Why not? It's more than me trying to redeem myself for being a spoiled brat. It's because if there was a way to reconnect with my family again, I wouldn't hesitate to take it. I am doing it out of the goodness of my heart and to reinstate hope for the future in all of them, I don't want to let them down. That, and once you're all connected, I hope you'll all stay with us at Jellbany. We can't afford to be selective of our alliances at this moment in time. We're all good people, and we're stronger together than we are apart."

Rick was blown away by her insightful reply, and wanted to believe her. A part of him already did. The apocalypse had transformed most people into bottom dwellers, it was rare to find somebody without an ulterior motive. That motive may have been getting them all to stay at Jellbany, but she was doing it for their benefit and not her own.

"You're right. May I ask how old you are, Delilah?"

She scoffed. "Why, does my age tell you something about my answer?"

"No, I'm just curious."

"I'm twenty two, how about yourself? Madison here is thirty one."

"I'm thirty eight and Carl is fourteen. You're very wise for your age is all."

"Thank you, I appreciate that. It's what happens when books are your only friends and life isn't perfect. Is there anything else you want to fill me in on that I should know? Aren't you worried about Phillip The One Eyed Freak and his militia?"

He shook his head. "Not entirely. We got into a physical brawl and Michonne stabbed him in the heart right before he was about to kill me. I have no idea what to make of the rest of them, I'm sure they've all scattered away."

"You're probably right about that." There was a second brief silence and Delilah gulped, unsure if she should say what she was thinking. She looked up into the rear view mirror at Rick. "I'm sorry to both of you about your loss. Lori." He looked up into the mirror and saw sincerity in her eyes.

"Thank you, that's very kind of you."

"I know what it's like to lose somebody, family especially. One of the hardest things a person can undergo, but it really does make us stronger. At least you two have each other."

Delilah was never really close with her father, but always regretted not going off with her mother to Europe. She could only imagine how things were there, and wondered if she'd ever see her mother again, or if Christine and Billy were dead or alive. If she saw them again, she wouldn't know what to say. They purposely pushed her into a mosh pit of zombies, how could they ever be forgiven? She couldn't help but wonder if her suspicions of the two of them messing around behind her back were true…

"Hey! Isn't it odd that all these names rhyme?" Madison broke Delilah away from her thoughts of the past.

"Huh?" She turned over, still a bit dazed, and looked at her.

"Think about it! Carl, Carol, Daryl, Merle, Hershel, Dale? I mean, haven't you ever thought about it, Carl?"

"No?"

Madison started going over it again, but this time, in sing-song. "Carl, Carol, Daryl, Merle, Hershel, Dale. Lori, Maggie, Jacqui, Jimmy, Amy, Lizzie, Mika, Andrea, Sophia, Patricia, and whoops! Now we can add Delilah! Carl, Carol, Daryl, Merle-"

"MADISON!"

"Hershel, Dale, Lori, Maggie Jacqui, Jimmy, Amy, Lizzie, Beth, Judith,"

Realizing she wasn't going to stop, the three of them burst into laughter. It felt good to be able to laugh again and genuinely mean it. Laughter was something that The Grimes boys had been without for a long time, and they were willing to put up with the bumbling bull rider to get more of it…

_**25 Minutes Later…**_

Delilah turned onto Jelly Belly Lane and pulled up into the parking lot of the factory. To her, Madison, and the others, this was home, but to Rick and Carl, it was nothing more than new surroundings.

"Rick and Carl Grimes, I present to thee, Jellbany! Welcome!"

_**WHAT DO WE THINK SO FAR? WILL RICK AND CARL END UP STAYING WITH DELILAH AND HER GROUP? FIND OUT EVERYTHING AND MORE IN CHAPTER FOUR: **__**JELLYBANY!**_

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!**_


	4. Chapter Four: Jellbany

**Author's Note: Hello world and my wonderful readers! Today, ****************January 31st, is my actual birthday! **After getting sick again and having too much free time on my hands, as a birthday treat to myself, I've decided to do FOUR POSTINGS IN ONE DAY! Chapter Four of this story, Chapter 28 of _Nights in_ _White Satin, _Chapter Two of _Back to Life, _and the first chapter of _Beyond The Stunning Facade,_ an all new Total Drama story starring Duncney! I hope everybody leaves me a bunch of reviews as a cyber birthday present! I had this chapter uploaded on Sunday, it's been killing me to wait this long to post a chapter! :) Sorry if this chapter seems really long, there was a lot to go over and I didn't want to split it up because of the ending. I have developed the other original characters, which of whom will be introduced in Chapter Five, and they are all based on people I am closest with in my life. 

**Thank you very much for the reviews so far! I hope to reach 100 or more. If anybody has any ideas for the story or original characters, feel free to message me! I would love to hear them.**

**The inspiration for this story was based around the idea I came up with of everybody living in a Jelly Belly factory! Lmao I AM OBSESSED WITH JELLY BELLIES! That and the idea is out of the box, which is exactly how I am. I did A LOT of research, and all of the electronics mentioned, as well as solar and thermal power, CAN exist in an apocalypse or other disaster. If WOODBURY can have electricity, why can't Jellbany? Also, you always hear about the people that are saving up years in advance for an apocalypse (at least zombie) that will never happen, and this story really explores said people. I hope everybody likes the cover image I made for the story. If you haven't figured it out, Delilah is me. ;P Hehehe sorry but it's true!**

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE OR JELLY BELLY,. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), DAVID KLEIN AND THE JELLY BELLY COMPANY, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.**_

_**Chapter Four: Jellybany**_

_"**Rick and Carl Grimes, I present to thee, Jellbany! Welcome!" **_Delilah mockingly announced and parked the truck as Rick and Carl took in the sights of their possible new home.

The area was incredibly vast, with lots of trees and barely any dead grass or plants. Rick wondered how many people were there and what they did with all three of the buildings. They were not much bigger than the CDC, but smaller than the prison. He assumed the building with blackened windows consisted of the offices, and he saw that the building next to it said "Visitor's Center" along with a sign of the Jelly Belly bean logo. Five different float balloons of the Jelly Belly mascot were half deflated, and the parking lot still held a couple of the company's Volkswagen Beetles and vans. There were also a few delivery trucks, a Mustang convertible, a Dodge flat bed truck, a red fire truck, a Scope Ford F-650 XUV, a Cadillac Hybrid, and a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Everything appeared to look fine, except Rick noticed something they didn't have.

"You don't have a gate." He said as they all stepped out. Then again, the prison had gates, but had that really done them any good in the long run?

"I know, they didn't build one. Don't worry, we never get a huge swarm of walkers. Half a dozen at most, and they're usually taken out in less than a few minutes. Plus, we have a bunch of driveway alarms set up to alert us of movement within a four hundred foot range."

The uneasy feeling was creeping up inside Rick, Carl felt it as well, along with Delilah. "This place is kind of a long ways from town, a bit on the outskirts. I don't think you have anything to worry about, but I'll see what I can do. Tyresse said something about there being a makeshift gate at the prison, we'll figure something out." She smiled warmly at Rick, putting him at ease, before turning her sights back to Madison. "Mads, can you please grab Maggie and the others, tell them we've arrived? I'm going to give the boys a tour of the place, we'll meet you at Home Base."

"You betcha, city slicka!" She saluted her and ran off inside, leaving Delilah standing there, rolling her eyes before turning back to the boys.

"Believe it or not, she's not the most unconventional of us. Our group is pretty eclectic to say the least, but it's how things should be, integrated and diversified, don't you think?"

They both nodded. Rick wondered if she went to college, she articulated and acted like an aspiring politician or world leader.

"Alright, let's get to it."

They followed her until stopping in front of the stairs underneath the horse shoe shaped awning that had yet another Jelly Belly logo sign. The aroma of sweet candy wafted through the air, delighting their sense of smell. Delilah spread out her arms.

"This place is divided into three sections. The black building on the left are the offices, that's where we sleep and shower." She pointed to the offices.

"There's showers here?"

"Mmhmm. These Jelly Belly guys had the work discipline of scientists, so there were showers in all the individual office bathrooms, and the offices have since been converted into bedrooms. We lucked out with having a solar and thermal power plant on the other side of the factory, but the pilot light is broken, it has to be lit to get hot water, but it lasts about two hours. I'll show you that last, we're going to start with the Visitor's Center, also known as "Leisure Zone"." They walked up the stairs and followed her inside, where they looked around, in absolute awe.

_**LEISURE ZONE**_

The inside was all white with red railings and brightly lit from the sun, it looked like a shopping mall. The walls were adorned with vibrant Jelly Belly decals and Jelly Belly portraits of pop culture and patriotic themes. To the right was the gift shop and to the left was the cafeteria. Shiny plastic life sized Jelly Bellies of all colors dangled from the ceiling, along with more of the mascot in a hot air balloon and an airplane. It was remarkable how everything was still in pristine condition despite being abandoned.

"Isn't this incredible? I never did get a chance to go to the factory in Fairfield, and now I live in the one in Georgia. Ha!" Delilah turned around, smiling at their fascinated faces. "That was exactly how I looked when I first arrived." She pointed to her right. "This is the gift shop. There's lots of accessories, clothes, toys, and candy. Lots and lots of candy." Indeed, there was. The walls of the gift shop were lined up with ceiling high holsters filled with every single kind of Jelly Belly ever created, the counters had boxes and bags of candy assembled all over with chocolates and other candies. Even if the lights weren't working, the colorful array would have been enough to light up the whole room, if not the building.

"This… is… awesome!" Carl exclaimed, absolutely loving it. So far, it outranked the prison. Delilah's smile widened, she could tell that Carl was a good kid and had been through a lot, she enjoyed being able to make them happy and only hoped Rick would soon join in.

"You are absolutely adorable, Carl." She messed up his hat again, causing him to blush. "I always wanted a little brother." His smile kind of faded. Even though Delilah was almost nine years older than him, he didn't want her to view him as a kid. _I'll show her. _

"Over here is the cafeteria, which is used for the obvious and looks exactly like any other cafeteria but in bold colors. Before you ask, yes, there _is _other food here besides candy. I'll show you that when we get to the factory, also known as "Inventory Range", but there's more to see here. Let's go upstairs." The boys followed Delilah up the red and white wrap around staircase with Jelly Belly wallpaper covered columns, Rick seeing that there were sculptures made entirely out of Jelly Bellies. One of a duck in a marsh, one of Marilyn Monroe, and… He was diverted from the sculptures to see that Carl was blatantly checking out Delilah's butt. Sure, he had done it also, but he wasn't as obvious.

"Carl!" He hissed in his ear and lightly smacked his hat. Confused, he looked up into his father's eyes. "Don't even try to "what" me. I know what you were doing, have respect." Carl looked down, a little ashamed that he had gotten caught. He couldn't help it, Delilah wasn't like any other girl he had seen in real life, she looked like something out of a graphic novel. A voluptuous babe that would look good in any clothing.

Although she tried to act oblivious, Delilah was aware of the interaction behind her. If Carl had seen the old her, he probably would have looked the other way. She developed early and was in a D cup by the time she was thirteen years old. All the boys would leer at her and the girls would spread rumors that she stuffed her bra or got breast implants. She also had twenty pounds of "baby fat" that wouldn't go away despite her competitive figure skating, not until she stopped and it came off due to a growth spurt. Now, she was really a stunner, and became used to the male attention that wouldn't stop, but a part of her would always remain a bit unnerved.

"We spend most of our time in "Leisure Zone", from ten in the morning to seven at night for the kids and ten at night for the adults. This is the Arts and Crafts room." She opened the door and stepped aside, going back and opening all the other doors, as Rick and Carl stepped inside. The shelves were filled with various art supplies. Colored pencils, crayons, markers, glue, colored paper, beads, buttons, stickers, those fuzzy things kids like to play with, paints, clay. There was an easel and a desk on either side of the room, along with a sewing machine and kit, covered in various fabric swatches. There was a long oval table in the middle of the room, the walls were covered in various drawings. "The majority of art supplies were already here, we got more when we raided a Michael's one day. The little ones spend a lot of time in here. I thought it was imperative that there was an outlet available to allow them to express their creativity and allow their imaginations to run wild with everything going on."

"Sure." Rick realized something, and felt like a complete idiot for NOT asking sooner. "I know that things were pretty overwhelming earlier, but I forgot to ask, how exactly _did_ you find us?"

Delilah turned around. "Besides vowing to drive all over the state of Georgia?" She pulled out a little two toned green device from her pocket. "This little baby helped. It's called an ACR Electronics Microfix Personal Beacon. It identifies somebody's exact location, name, and medical information. The only problem is every time I've used it and we got to where it said you were, you were gone. I guess I finally got you on time." She smiled at them, and couldn't believe she didn't mention it. Imagine how they'd react over the other surprise she had in store, she was rather embarrassed that she hid it and would have explaining to do.

"Impressive. Where did you get it?"

"I told you, Billy cashed in his life savings to buy a bunch of these things. Besides the keys to the truck, when I was pushed, I had a Voltaic Array Solar Charger backpack that held a bundle of electronics. The Beacon, headlamps, night vision goggles, LED flashlights, an ETON American Red Cross Solarlink FR360 Radio, a Jetboil Personal Cooking System, LIFESAVER water bottle, a solar concept tent, an Iridium Extreme phone. That phone was how I got into contact when I was abandoned. The Beacon will help us find the others, granted that they're where it says they are by the time we get there. Shall we continue?"

Rick nodded, and they kept going. The next room was the movie room. There was a Sony 65 inch GXD-L65H1 LCD TV with tons of DVDS and video games as well as their respective gaming systems, along with tons of board games. "I know what you're thinking, how can a TV work in a zombie apocalypse?" Delilah laughed. "This TV will survive anything. We can use it because of the solar power, but not very often. Once a week at most. We try to be scarce. This room was where the company would have promotional wine and beer tasting, so we kept those in here, also. Don't worry, they're away from the kids."

Following The Movie Room was the library, that was filled with all sorts of books, periodicals, magazines, and comic books. "Besides arts and crafts and games, I also feel it's important for the kids to get an education. We teach them English, American Sign Language, math, history, and science, as much as is allowed by the books and what the adults already know. They have to learn something, this isn't a real vacation. We also teach them survival skills." Rick admired Delilah for attempting to create a humane society in a now non-human existence.

The nursery was next to the library, with lots of kid friendly toys and accessories. Following the nursery was the main meeting room. There was a council, more or less, just like back at the prison. The rooms after that were rooms that looked down on the factory. Rick and Carl were pretty impressed, it was like Jellbany could have been it's own planet.

_**INVENTORY RANGE**_

The factory resembled that of any other factory, with the massive machines and everything in chrome, except there was a rainbow Choo-Choo train and even more Jelly Bellies dangling from the ceiling.

"Back in the day, they used to allow tourists to just walk on the factory floor, but for safety regulations, they added this Choo-Choo train. It still works, helps a lot when we have to add to the inventory. Want to see?"

"Yeah." Carl said, finally speaking after having taken everything in. He could get used to staying here and couldn't wait to meet the people of Delilah's group, but he wondered what his father was thinking. Rick didn't do much but nod here and there. They got on the train and took a brief but nice ride to the end of the factory, seeing the endless supply of unopened Jelly Bellies.

"We will _never _run out of Jelly Bellies, _ever_. It's pretty insane." Delilah finally got a laugh out of Carl and Rick. When the train stopped, The Grimes boys were surprised to see the massive, sky-high inventory. Stacks and stacks of boxes filled with facial wash, toothpaste, tissues, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, toilet paper, paper towels, body wash, batteries, hand soap and sanitizers, laundry detergents, razors, candles, cleaning supplies, all neatly labeled.

There was also food. Nondairy Creamer, Jell-O mix, cereal, energy and granola bars, emergency preparedness meals, jars of peanut butter, nuts, bags of dog food, cans of soup, boxes of pasta, bags of beef jerky, bottles of juices and water and cans of soda, carrots, potatoes, eggplants, apples, citrus fruits, dried fruits, processed cheese, tomato paste, beans, canned meat, herbs and spices, multiple kinds of candy, and of course, Twinkies. This place looked like a super-sized Costco, it had Rick and Carl moved to the point of almost tears.

"Delilah, how exactly did you acquire all this?" That question was inevitable. She turned to look at her pride and joy.

"All of this was what was in Billy's semi-truck. Everybody that I've recruited into this group has contributed to the stockpile. We go on runs and collect more, bring back one or two of each item, depending on the need, and we leave the rest of whatever's left for others. It would be selfish to take it all for ourselves, just enough to survive.

When I was on my own, I ran into Javier Esparza and Matthew Clemens in Atlanta. They're famous drag queen performers and lovers. Their Mustang broke down in front of Chanel, they hardly had anything but their makeup. I changed their tire and told them to follow me. From there, I came into contact with Ivan Hendricks, another doomsday prepper, over the Iridium phone. He had a bunch of electronics, all the lights and radios over there." She pointed to another pile of electronics, along side a pile of weapons and medical supplies. "He has the Scope Ford F-650 XUV you saw in the parking lot, which also held a massive food and necessity stockpile. It was him, his wife Brandi, his daughter Cadence, their pit bulls Peyton and Duke. The baby's real mother was bitten and they had to take her out, but he's the biological father."

Rick nodded. "I understand, that's a good way to go about this."

"Again, everybody contributes. So whatever you have, feel free to add it to the pile." Rick and Carl set down their newly retrieved items before following Delilah to the end of the factory.

"Who else is in your group?"

"With Brandi, Ivan, the baby, and the dogs, there's the Dorgans, they have the Cadillac Hybrid. Caitlin and Mark, their kids are Taylee and Dominick. She's six and he's two. I couldn't even imagine having a baby in this apocalypse, they're both strong people."

This made Rick immediately think of Judith. Looking back now and knowing the result, would he have had convinced Lori to take the abortion pill? It was a question he couldn't ever answer.

"It's easier when you have a lot of people around to help."

Delilah turned around, seeing his face and felt even worse. How could she be such an idiot to hide that Judith was on the bus and now in Jellbany? She thought it would be nice for them to have a surprise, but looking back now, she was sure they would consider her a selfish liar and leave. "Mmhmm, I agree. We do have a lot of people here to help each other. Caitlin and Ivan were both members of a Doomsday Preparation group, so they were family friends prior to this. They managed to contact some other members through on the Iridium, like Mac Lords. He's the one with the Harley, real tough guy, but he used to be a doctor, treated Glenn and the kids when they got here. After we all banded together, they followed me to the Jelly Belly factory. We found Caroline Griffin, her fiancé Vince Rivera and their five year old son, Lucas, they have the Dodge flat bed truck. Kaki and Savannah Schulte are sixteen year old twins that we found at a Best Buy with their two little brothers. Brock is fifteen and Jason is thirteen. You'll have somebody your own age to hang out with also, Carl. Tyler Ladd is the loner of the group, he stole the red fire truck and almost crashed into us. He had nothing on him but a change of clothes, a laptop, a bunch of bootleg CDS which he claims he got from his job at a record studio, and four pounds of pot. Stupid kid, he's a year younger than me and thinks he knows it all. We all range in age from toddlers to mid forties, the babies being the youngest and Mac is the oldest." She rushed through to the end of the factory. "This area is where the girls have dance class so we can work out. That's what I used to do before the outbreak. I was a flash mob choreographer and strip aerobics instructor."

Carl looked at her, confused. "Flash mob?" He knew better than to ask about the strip aerobics.

"Yes, it's when a group of people get together in a public place and start dancing to a routine. It's pretty funny. I started doing it after I retired from figure skating. Almost made it to the Olympics. I wish I could re-do that one." She heavily sighed, knowing there was no way to fix the past. "Come on, let me show you the backyard before we go back to Home Base." They walked outside. The land was just as wide as the front was. There were even more trees and a vegetable garden, just like in the prison, along with lawn chairs, umbrellas, a BBQ grill, and a huge hard top wading pool with a cover on the top. "The pool is only used under adult supervision and when it's hot enough. Apart from gardening, we use this area for target practice. Round up some walkers and time how long it takes to kill them. There's always room for improvement. There's also underground coolers." She lifted a lid off of a hole in the ground to reveal cool drinks. "How were you able to get ice?" This all seemed a little too perfect.

"Not every place was blacked out, there was still running electricity and freezers. It's how we got the ice, that and there's a refrigerator/freezer here. Would you like a drink?"

"Water is fine." She dug around in the cooler and threw out two ice cold bottles, watching as the boys downed them in less than a minute. "Whoa, slow down! You'll get a stomachache if you drink too fast." They shared a brief laugh before Delilah pointed to the towers across the way. "Those are the solar and thermal towers. There's these salts in the machines, so there's electricity at night still, but the rooftops were all lined with mirrors when we got here."

At this point, Jellbany blew Woodbury off the map.

"You're behind all this?" Rick couldn't believe that this young girl had managed to create a utopia paradise. She turned back to face them.

"I've had some help, but I'm a natural leader and am filled with ideas. Everybody contributes, I can't stress that enough, and it counts, but the final decisions are left up to me. We live a life of luxury amongst the zombies, and you can, too, if you decide to stay." Delilah beamed at them. She had them both intrigued and wanting to know more. "Ok, let's go see everybody!" She walked off, leaving Rick and Carl in a daze.

"Dad, what do you think so far?"

"I think Delilah is a very nice girl with a good head on her shoulders, things seem to be fine for the most part. I know you like her." He elbowed his son, they both exchanged a smile and a laugh. "What do you think?"

"I think we should stay. Can we?" They had been nomads again for a month, they needed as much normalcy as could be obtained, and Jellbany would be a pretty great start.

"We'll see, Carl. Let's talk to Maggie and everybody else, find out what they think."

_**Home Base**_

The trio walked up to the blacked out building. Delilah turned back to them, sensing the apprehension. "It's going to be ok, I promise. We don't bite. Everybody is really excited to meet you. Plus, I have a surprise for you both."

They looked at her, once again, confused. "You do?"

She nodded. "Yes, it's something I didn't mention earlier. and I feel like an idiot. Will you forgive me?"

"It depends on what it is. Show us first and we'll decide." Rick couldn't even begin to visualize what it was, but was praying they weren't walking into a trap. Except how would Delilah have obtained all that information on them? The only ones that knew were Maggie and Glenn, with Glenn being one of the last surviving Atlanta members and Maggie from the farm. Unless it was Carol, but she wouldn't have known about The Governor attacking the prison, except what if she had been watching them? That was impossible, he saw her drive in the opposite direction. His head was now swimming, he took a deep breath, trying to relax himself, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

"Ok." Delilah pulled out a walkie talkie. "Lila Loo to Bull Rider, round up Gleggie, Tyressha, and Bob and bring them in the lobby. Do you copy?"

There was a brief silence before hearing the walkie crackle and Madison's voice on the other end. "Bull Rider to Lila Loo, Roger that! Over and Out!"

"Those are nicknames we call them. Ready?" Delilah asked as she put the walkie away.

"Yes." They were as ready as they would ever be, and if anything were to happen, they had their weapons to attack. To be honest, this "surprise" had them a little on edge again. What could it possibly be?

Delilah opened the double doors and they followed her inside. The lobby had grey and blue tile floors, with a glass elevator and lots of plush furniture, as well as a huge wrap around desk. "The building is five floors and surrounded by more driveway alarms. The first floor is mostly used for storage with the extra office desks and chairs, we also have the toiletries, cleaning supplies, and food. Every room and floor has a mini stockpile of electronics, weapons, and medical supplies on hand like you saw in Inventory Range, as does Leisure Zone. The elevators still work, but we don't like to use them too often in case somebody gets stuck. The other four floors are used as bedrooms, but everybody prefers to be all together on the top floor. Each office has a bathroom with a shower and a closet, we have makeshift beds with air mattresses or what we found when we went on a raid to The Sleep Shoppe some time back. I've already picked out and organized your rooms. They're right next to each other, and a couple of rooms down from mine, which happens to be the master office suite. Showers have to be under ten minutes, every day starts at 9:45, bedtime for the kids is 8:00 pm and for the adults it's 11:00 pm. You can have the latter time, Carl." Before he could reply, she heard a bunch of shuffling. "Here comes everybody now." Delilah smiled and stepped aside as Madison came down with Maggie, Glenn, Tyresse, Sasha, and Bob. When both parties saw each other, their faces broke out into laughing smiles and their eyes started tearing up.

"Rick! Carl!"

"Maggie!"

"Glenn!"

They ran towards one another and collided in a mass of hugs, laughs, and happy tears. It was surreal, that they were together again, but it wouldn't be complete until they found everybody else. That would be the only way they'd be a family again. Delilah watched it all with a huge smile on her face, her heart swelling with pride that she accomplished something so huge and made such a selfless sacrifice for others. She turned her head to the side and blinked, letting two tear drops fall. It had been a long time since she cried. Madison walked over to her. "You ok?" She asked, wrapping an arm around her friend. Delilah nodded and smiled.

"I'm great."

Rick let go and stared at Maggie and Glenn, they were all still crying. "I can't believe this! We didn't know if we'd ever see you again!" Now that Delilah had been telling the truth, the boys felt more relaxed.

"So did we! We owe it all to Delilah over here." Maggie turned over and looked at her. "Thank you, again."

"You're wel-" Maggie swooped her up into a tight hug, which Delilah returned. In the past month, Maggie and Delilah had become very close, almost like sisters. Sadly, Delilah had a feeling once Beth was found, that would be gone, but she hoped not. They released from the hug. "You're welcome." She lowered her voice, almost to a whisper. "Except for what we discussed earlier, I didn't tell them."

Maggie's eyes grew wide. "You didn't?"

Delilah shook her head. "No, I figured it would be better coming from you."

"What's going on?" Carl asked. The uneasy feeling was increasing. What if Maggie and the rest had turned on them or something? She took a deep breath before speaking.

"Judith is alive. Lizzie took her out of the car seat and grabbed her onto the bus. She's here."

Rick and Carl now went wide eyed. The past hour and a half was unreal, but to find out that Judith was alive this whole time? Why had Delilah kept it a secret? Rick looked over at her.

"When you found us, why didn't you say that Judith was here all along?"

Both Rick and Carl were discombobulated and didn't know whether to be angry or thrilled. Delilah looked sad and guilty, but came up with an answer she hoped would suffice.

"My main focus was getting you here. I wasn't sure if telling you about Judith would be the right move, you might consider it a ploy, which is why I waited until we got back for your group to tell you. It would be more believable coming from them since I'm pretty much an outsider to you. I'm really, really sorry."

Once she broke it down, it actually did make sense in a way. Of course they were more inclined to believe about Judith coming from Glenn or Maggie. Delilah was strategic, but still truthful and had good intentions. After all, she had brought them back together, and was proving herself more and more.

"I see your point, more or less. I'm not sure if I entirely agree with it, but I think we can forgive you. How could we not? You've reunited us again. Thank you so much."

Delilah smiled proudly, relieved they weren't too angry. "You're welcome."

"Next time, just tell them everything. It'll make things a lot easier." Glenn said, and she nodded.

"You got it. Why don't you guys head to Leisure Zone? I'm going to show Rick and Carl their living quarters, it's almost time for breakfast, anyway. We'll catch up."

"Awesome possum, cherry blossom! C'mon, gang. Let's go fry up some taters and whip us some flapjacks!" Everybody shared a laugh before heading out. Rick immediately noticed how comfortable the others were around Delilah and Madison. Although he had a perfectly good reason, the second guessing needed to simmer down. It was rubbing off on Carl, and Delilah had done nothing wrong except for holding back about Judith. They followed Delilah up the stairs to the fifth floor, which was carpeted in dark blue with more Jelly Belly designs. That would eventually get boring in all it's redundancy. All of the offices were right next to each other, with the doors closed. Each door was decorated with different posters and name tags. Rick and Carl followed Delilah to two rooms near the end of the hall.

"This will be your room, Carl. Every single office has an adjoining door, so you'll all be connected to each other. There's also some posters and decals, you can decorate the walls however you want. Same for your room, Rick." She walked through the adjoining door, leaving them to inspect the room. It was baby blue with grey carpets, an air mattress on a makeshift bed with black sheets and a comforter, an office cabinet converted into a dresser bureau across from the bed, a closet off to right side of the adjoining door that had fresh clothes, and the bathroom door was on the left side of the bed, along with battery operated lights in the corner of each room. The bathroom had a sink with a mirrored medicine cabinet, a toilet, and a sizeable shower. Both the shower and cabinet were stocked with toiletries, as promised. Carl noticed on the bureau that there was a display of various action figures and comic books.

"Whoa, Dad! Check it out! _Transformers _and _Marvel_!" He started messing around with the toys and flipping through the comic books, Rick lightly chuckling, glad to see there was still a bit of a child in his son.

"Here's your baby girl." Delilah said in a sing song voice. Rick and Carl froze before turning around, seeing Judith wrapped up in a pink blanket in Delilah's arms. She looked exactly the same but a little bit bigger, her reddish brown hair a little longer. She looked at them for a few moments before her green eyes sparkled and she started smiling, indicating that even after being separated for a month, she still remembered her father and big brother.

"Judith!" Rick and Carl both started tearing up. Jellbany could have been a total dump, but they had now received the grand prize, which was being reunited with Judith. Delilah walked over to them and gently handed the baby to Rick, who held her tightly to his chest and kissed her face all over. "We're back together, sweetheart. I promise that Daddy and Carl will never get separated from you again." Carl stroked her hair and kissed her head. They saw she was wearing a white long sleeved shirt and a lavender jumper with floral print on it.

"She's an absolute angel, Rick. I hope when I have kids, they're as easy as her and Dominick." Her smile widened, this Hallmark moment sent her happiness levels skyrocketing. It was obvious that the little blunder of her holding back was long forgotten.

Rick looked over at her, letting the tears flow. "Thank you, again, Delilah. For everything."

Her smile was still in tact, keeping it there so she could hold back the tears that were threatening to escape. "It was no problem. My pleasure, really. I just wanted to help."

"Well, you did. In more ways than one."

Carl walked up and gave her a hug. Delilah hesitated, but hugged him back. It wasn't that she wasn't affectionate, but she was surprised that Carl was hugging her, he seemed to be kind of reserved. He couldn't help but notice his body was beginning to get excited when it came into contact with hers, and released before she noticed anything. Whatever it was, he wondered if he would experience it again in the future, whomever it may be with. Carl stepped back and over to Rick, who handed Judith to him.

"I've been working on something with her." She walked over to Rick and bent down a little in front of Judith, with her hands on her knees, and her voice changed to a sweet tone, similar to baby talk. "Judith, can you say "Daddy"?" There was a brief silence, the three of them in anticipation, before Judith opened her mouth.

"Da-ddy."

The boys gasped and started laughing, Carl jumped up a little with his fist pumped in the air as Rick hugged the baby to his chest. "Oh, my gosh! You taught her to speak?!" Rick was worried that this was all a dream, that he'd wake up and be camped out back in the cul-de-sac again, but it wasn't. They were finally home. Delilah nodded.

"Yep, and how to walk. There's one more." She turned back to the baby. "Can you say "Carl"?"

"Car-rl."

The laughter and smiles continued, Delilah was overwhelmed by the amount of pride and love in the room.

"This has all been so unbelievable, we really can't thank you enough."

"Again, there's no need whatsoever. Come on, I'll show you your room, then mine."

They all walked through Judith's room, which was decorated in pink and purple with lots of toys and stuffed animals, into Rick's room. It looked the same as Carl's but with black walls and blue furniture. "There's also shaving cream and razors, in case you want to shave, Grizzly Adams."

Rick chuckled. "I think I just might."

Delilah was glad that she managed to break them out of their comfort zone a bit. They went from Rick's room to the end of the hall. Delilah stepped aside for them to walk in.

"And this, is my room. The Princess Suite."

Delilah's room did indeed look fit for a princess. The walls were covered in various music and movie posters, and the furniture was all pink. Her bed looked to be about king sized with a leopard faux fur comforter and six pink and blue pillows, a white canopy hung above the bed, the whole room seemed to sparkle. What caught Rick's eye was the massive collection of purses, shoes, and jewelry that were poking out of the closet. There had to be at least a dozen of every single top designer haute couture brand.

"Where did you-"

Delilah cut them off. "I _know _what you're thinking. After being abandoned by my sister and Billy, I was so angry that I ransacked all the abandoned high end designer stores in Texas. It was pretty picked over, which is why I went to Atlanta, for the shopping! That and the CDC, I figured Georgia would be the best place to be in the event of a cure coming to light. Sadly, there's still a trace of a spoiled and materialistic brat with expensive taste in me, but I think I've more than made up for it. Consider it nothing more than angry power shopping for therapeutic purposes."

After all the good she had done, this was something hardly worth judging over, just took them by surprise.

"It's fine, we don't think anything of it."

Delilah smiled. "Good to know. You guys are probably exhausted. Why don't you hop in the shower and get cleaned up? I'll bring breakfast up to you and you can take a nap?"

"That sounds good, but we'll join everybody else." Rick was eager to meet the others, but a nice hot shower was way too inviting to resist.

"Are you sure? It's not a problem, really."

He shook his head. "No, that's alright. You've already gone out of your way for us enough. We hope to repay the favor."

Delilah smiled. "I'm sure you will. You can start by staying here. How's it looking so far?"

"Pretty good, we'll see what happens when we find the others." The chances of them staying were looking really good, but Rick didn't want to get her hopes up if they changed their minds.

"That's all I can ask. I'm going to go wake everybody up and get the day started. I'll come back and get you in about an hour, hour and a half?"

"Sounds good."

"Ok, see you then."

"Bye, Delilah. Thank you again."

"You're welcome, Carl. Bye, Rick."

"Bye."

They all walked out of her room and their separate ways, Rick and Carl going to put Judith down in her room while Delilah went to the end of the hall to start waking up the others.

_**An Hour and a Half Later…**_

Rick stood in front of the mirror, freshly showered and shaved. He felt exhilarated and looked even better, it was the first time he had seen his face beardless in almost a year, and he preferred the look. Clean shaven looked well with his longish hair also. The clothes Delilah had in the closet fit perfectly, he selected jeans, a red, white, and blacked checkered flannel shirt with a black t-shirt, and black and white sneakers. His thoughts were interrupted by Delilah softly knocking on the door.

"Can I come in?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." There was something about her, whether it be her beauty, intelligence, or charm, whatever it was, it made him a bit jumpy. After Lori's death, he hadn't allowed himself to think about being with another woman, even though he was only human and had urges and needs like any other male. It had been close to a year since Lori passed away, if this were the real world again, it would be about time for Rick to get back into dating. He thought Delilah was stunning, but could he really get involved with her? She had a lot of outstanding traits that he looked for in a woman, but he was _**sixteen**_ years older than her! She was still a baby, he was old enough to be her father, and she was closer to Carl's age than his own. Rick knew Carl had a little crush on her, but it was impossible for them to be together, and it couldn't be anything more than that, just a crush. He knew Carl would come around, maybe he'd take an interest in one of the other girls. Besides, a girl like Delilah could have any guy she desired, she wouldn't want to go after a widower with two kids. Rick nervously began stacking everything back in the medicine cabinet as Delilah walked in.

"Everything okay? How are the clothes fitting?"

"Everything's perfect, the clothes fit well. Thank you again." He closed the mirror and turned around to face her, he watched as her face lit up in a huge smile.

"Wow! You look incredible!"

"Thanks." Rick smiled and chuckled nervously.

"I almost didn't recognize you. Can I touch your face?"

It seemed a bit ludicrous, but also so innocent at the same time.

"Sure, I suppose so."

"Thanks. My father never let us touch his face or his hair as kids, so every chance I get to touch some other guy's, I go for it. It's unusual, I know." Rick couldn't think of what father wouldn't let their kid touch their face or hair, maybe they were just different kinds of fathers. She walked over and began rubbing her hands up and down his face. "So smooth. What do you know, The Beast has turned back into a prince."

They both broke out into a short laugh, followed by an awkward silence. Delilah's hands were still on his face, making his heart beat accelerate as he gazed into her eyes. She looked a little nervous, but also amorous, before leaning in and kissing him softly on the lips…

_**THEY KISSED! THEY KISSED! WILL RICK RECIPROCATE AND HOW WILL CARL REACT?! THEY'RE FINALLY REUNITED WITH SOME OF THE GROUP! WILL IT BE FOR LONG? WILL THEY STAY IN JELLBANY? HOW WILL THE OTHER INHABITANTS INTERACT WITH RICK AND CARL? WHEN WILL THE OTHERS BE FOUND? JUDITH IS ALIVE! FYI: I SCREWED UP BY NOT MENTIONING EARLIER ABOUT HOW SHE FOUND THEM AND THAT JUDITH WAS ALWAYS IN JELLBANY, I CAME UP WITH THE IDEAS MIDWAY, SO I TRIED TO CLARIFY AND SUM IT UP HERE. PLUS, JUDITH IS ABOUT NINE OR TEN MONTHS OLD, IF NOT OLDER, BUT EITHER WAY, OLD ENOUGH TO BE LEARNING OR ALREADY HAVE LEARNED TO WALK AND TALK. THE PART WHERE SHE TOUCHES HIS FACE IS BASED OFF OF ME AND MY DAD NEVER LETTING ME TOUCH HIS FACE OR HAIR SO I TOUCH EVERY OTHER GUY'S. ;P FIND OUT ALL THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS AND MORE IN CHAPTER FIVE: MIXE****D**** COMPANY****, COMING SOON! **_

_**BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE STORY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**_

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S MY BIRTHDAY WEEKEND! NO FLAMES!**_


	5. Chapter Five: Mixed Company

******Hello world and my wonderful readers! I had a fabulous birthday weekend, thanks for the birthday wishes! :) THREE MORE DAYS UNTIL _THE WALKING__ DEAD__ FINALLY RETURNS! _IT FEELS LIKE IT'S BEEN FOR-FREAKING-EVER! Lol I am CamTucking Out I am so excited (That's the term I came up with, thanks to Cameron Tucker-Pritchett on _Modern Family.)_**

****** I dedicate this chapter to Phillip Seymour Hoffman, whose death has affected me tremendously. Not only was he one of my idols, but he was also on my list of thespians I wanted to work with. Such a tragic loss of such an extraordinary talent. :(**

**Sorry if this chapter seems really long, there is a lot to delve into with the original characters and the other situations. Also, sorry if some of the already established characters seem OOC (Out of Character), like Tyresse, Bob, and Sasha. I'm not too familiar with them, but I tried my best. AGAIN, ****What would be the point of FanFiction if some of the characters always resembled how they were on the shows? If you don't like my story or have a problem with my writing style, then don't bother reading it. **

**Thank you very much for the reviews so far! I hope to reach 100 or more. If anybody has any ideas for the story or original characters, feel free to message me! I would love to hear them. Thanks to Knute for creating the character of Mac and especially thank you to SilverSun09, one of my FanFiction best friends! You have helped me immensely with this chapter AND the story itself. You rock and are so talented and awesome. Thank you again for everything. :)**

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE OR JELLY BELLY,. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), DAVID KLEIN AND THE JELLY BELLY COMPANY, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.**_

_**Chapter Five: Mixed Company**_

_**Delilah's hands were still on his face, making his heart beat accelerate as he gazed into her eyes. She looked a little nervous, but also amorous, before leaning in and kissing him softly on the lips… **_Rick didn't even flinch, it's as if he knew it was going to happen. His body felt frozen, like he was unable to stop this young girl, but a part of him didn't want it to stop, not knowing if it was right or wrong to keep going. Surprisingly enough, he was enjoying the kiss and it was making him feel something he hadn't felt in a long time. Was it joy? Passion? Lust? All over a kiss? It was possible, and it was happening _now_.

Delilah dropped her hands from his face, tangling her fingers through his hair with one hand and placing the other on his chest, as she deepened the kiss, her breasts pressing up against him. She was always impulsive when it came to men, especially since she had obtained a "sex symbol" status amongst them. Except there was something about Rick's strength and vulnerability that was alluring, it left her intrigued apart from already being attracted. He wasn't like the boys back home, he was a man, and a _real one_ at that.

Rick wrapped one arm around her waist and the other around the middle of her back, pulling her in closer. They both had their eyes closed, getting lost in this kiss. In that singular instance, it was as if the chaos in the world had come to a screeching halt to allow this moment to come about. Her lips were incredibly soft and tasted of strawberries, it must have been the lip gloss she was wearing. The combination of musky aftershave and minty mouthwash tantalized her senses. His touch and taste were turning her on, she could feel herself becoming aroused. Rick thought he was hearing things when she let a low moan escape into his mouth, which made his pants further tighten. He couldn't remember when the last time was he had gotten a reaction like that from kissing a member of the opposite sex, and _that's _when he realized who it was the she reminded him of.

Lori.

Rick's eyes flew open and he stepped back, breaking the kiss. Delilah was discombobulated, but as she looked at him, the guilt set in. _Why did I do that?! _Her expression changed from confused to saddened.

"I'm so sorry." She seemed very apologetic, but Rick felt like he should take some responsibility as well, he hadn't done much to stop it.

"So am I. I mean-" That wasn't what he had meant to say, he didn't want to come off as rude, but she interrupted him, shaking her head.

"No, no, it's fine. I shouldn't have done that." She shouldn't have, but she wanted to. In all honesty, a part of her hoped it would happen again later in time. "You're a widower with two kids." _What is wrong with you?! Talk about adding insult to injury. _

Her comment was a bit crass, but absolutely correct. "I'm also old enough to be your father." Rick watched her immediately blush upon that statement, clearly embarrassed. She looked away.

"Maybe we should just forget this whole thing ever happened." Delilah looked up at him, melting his heart a little with the sorrow in her big, beautiful bluish-green eyes.

"It's probably for the best." He couldn't help but wonder if it would happen again. _I can't let it, it's too much of a risk. _

"The last thing I want is for us to get off on the wrong foot." Even though she looked sad at first, Rick was both impressed and relieved that she had such a sudden mature turnaround.

"I understand, and I agree with you. Don't worry about it, ok?" He smiled at her, trying to ease the situation a little, but she looked a bit skeptical.

"Are you sure?"

Rick nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. It happens."

_He's certainly writing this off easily. _Delilah took a deep breath and returned the smile. "Ok, will do. I just wanted to check and see how you're doing. I'll see you guys downstairs."

"Sounds good."

Delilah walked out of the bathroom. When Rick was certain she was gone, he heavily exhaled and noticed that he still had an erection. That kiss had really turned him on more than he thought. "Damn it." He mumbled under his breath, hoping it would go away on it's own but knowing that it wouldn't. As he was about to undo his pants and relieve himself, he heard footsteps.

"Oh, Rick?"

"Huh?" He turned around to see Delilah walking back in, she had narrowly missed him taking his pants off.

"I forgot to ask you back at the house and in the car, why is Carol no longer in your group?"

Rick felt hesitant, but knew the question was unavoidable. "She killed two members of the group that were infected with the virus, one of them was Tyresse's girlfriend. Burned their bodies and claimed it was for the good of the others, but I couldn't trust her word. I gave her a car with enough supplies in it and banished her."

Delilah had unintentionally looked down at his pants and her eyes bulged from his noticeable hard-on. _That's from me! I wonder what it looks like out of the cage…_ She quickly set her gaze back on Rick and nodded.

"Got it. Sounds like an unpredictable risk. You did the right thing. Who else knows about it?"

"Maggie and Daryl. I don't know if either one of them told Glenn or anybody else, but I told Carl not too long after we left."

"Ok. They all want to have a meeting after breakfast to discuss the next phase of finding the others. I think you need to tell them, but that's just how I feel."

He knew she was right, and although Maggie and Delilah agreed with him, what would everybody else say? Daryl wasn't too thrilled, but Tyresse would be pissed and most likely try to beat him up again. Either way, they had to know.

"You're right, I will. When it happened, Tyresse was infuriated and things turned physical. If he found out it was Carol, he probably would have hit her, also."

Delilah was taken aback that somebody would beat up Rick. He was a good guy, not some slime ball like Billy, who rightly deserved to have the shit slapped out of him. _He's probably a nombie by now, I hope both of them are…_

"I'm sorry that happened. Don't worry, it won't happen again. I'll be there when you break the news. If anything like that does go down, they'll have to deal with me."

She walked out of the room, leaving him wondering what she meant, and also self-conscious that she caught a glimpse of the erection in his pants…

_**Ten Minutes Later…**_

"Iron Man is totally boss, but I think the weakest of The Avengers might be Capitan America. It's so hard to pick one though."

"I think you're right about Capitan America, but nobody beats The Incredible Hulk."

Delilah laughed. "Of course not, but nobody gives enough attention to Hawk Eye." Her and Carl were sitting with Judith on one of the plush couches in the lobby, waiting for Rick and discussing Marvel Comics.

"Hawk Eye is cool, I've always wondered how he never runs out of arrows."

"Don't you know? His sling back is magic and is always producing more and more arrows."

"I wish that were real, it would come in handy for Daryl. His weapon of choice is a crossbow."

She raised her eyebrows. "Wow, that's bitchen! You're right, it would. What about Thor? It's like when his power is gone, the hammer won't magically fly to him, therefore he can't walk over and pick it up himself?" The two of them started laughing over that.

"I never noticed, but you're right! He can't!"

Delilah was thrilled that Carl was starting to come out of his shell more and more. She hoped that Jellbany would do him some good and that he'd be able to make some friends here. Rick walked downstairs to see them laughing while holding Judith. "Hey."

They stopped laughing and looked over, Delilah's face lit up. She didn't know what it was, but seeing him made her smile, and she had to do everything not to start laughing like a bumbling idiot. _I haven't felt like this about somebody in so long, not since Billy… _"Hey! You look different without the beard. I like it."

"Thanks." He was glad that they were past the whole kiss and acting nonchalant about it all.

"Oh, I wanted to show you something." She grabbed Judith and set her on the ground. "Judith, walk to Daddy." Delilah let her go and the three of them watched her. Judith slowly walked over, before she started to pick up the pace. Rick bent down to her level.

"Come on, sweetheart, you can do it." Judith giggled and walked a little faster until she reached Rick. The three of them started clapping and cheering as Rick picked her up and gave her a kiss. "You taught her all this in a month?"

Delilah nodded. "Yep. I was around when Dominick was first learning to walk and talk, so I helped Caitlin out with him. I guess I just have a natural maternal instinct. Come on, everybody is waiting to meet you guys." They followed her out of the offices.

_**LEISURE ZONE**_

"Ok, everybody. Remember the plan." Madison said as she ran back into the cafeteria after seeing Rick and Carl walk up with Delilah. Once they walked into the cafeteria, the entire room stood to their feet, clapping and cheering. Rick and Carl looked surprised while Delilah was grinning from ear to ear, and joined in the cheering.

"Come on, you guys can be louder than that!" Sure enough, the volume went louder for another few seconds as Rick and Carl walked in. Even the members of their own group were taking part in the applause, they really had settled in with the others. The applause died down.

"DELILAH!" All the younger kids ran over and practically knocked her to the floor as they all started jumping on her. Carl laughed.

"You're pretty popular, Delilah." Rick smiled as she got to her feet with all the kids hugging her all over, she was laughing herself. This was certainly different from what she described earlier. These people really cared about her, she _did _have a family.

"I guess kids love me. Alright, settle down, monkeys." She hugged them before getting serious. "Ok, rug-rats, stand attention!" The kids all stood up straight and saluted her. Delilah turned back to an amused Rick and Carl. "It's a little game we have." She turned back to the kids. "Alright, you guys. This is Officer Rick Grimes and his son, Carl. They're Judith's father and brother, respectively. State your names when I point to you if they don't know who you already are." Delilah started pointing to all the kids.

"Taylee!"

"Dom-Dom!"

"Lucas!"

Taylee was holding Dominick's hand, they both looked exactly alike with a fair complexion and brownish-auburn hair with green eyes, except Taylee had freckles. Lucas was tanned with black curly hair and hazel eyes and was a little shorter than Taylee. Rick and Carl smiled at them.

"Nice to meet you all."

Delilah looked at the kids. "Whenever you see Officer Rick or Carl, I want you to always have the utmost respect for them, ok? They're superheroes." They both had to restrain the giggles as the kids marveled. Delilah turned back and nodded. "Yep. Ok, disband! Eat all your breakfast and don't forget it's a school day, so turn those brains on!" The kids all walked off. "Lizzie, Mika, wait." The two young girls stopped and turned around. Delilah turned back to Rick and Carl. "If it weren't for these two, I don't know where Judith would be right now."

The sisters stood proudly in front of Rick and Carl. "I made sure to grab her, it was our job." Words could not even express how thankful they were to the girls, they had rescued Judith.

Rick smiled at them. "Thank you again, you were very brave."

"Yeah, thanks so much." Carl used to find the two sisters annoying, but they had really grown since the last time they saw each other.

Lizzie nodded. "You're welcome."

Mika looked at them. "Rick, do you know where Carol is?"

Rick and Delilah looked over at one another nervously. The two of them and Carl knew the truth, how were they going to break it to the girls? "Uh, well-"

"She's the next one we're going to find! We're meeting after breakfast to discuss it. Run along now, lessons start in thirty minutes, ok?"

"Ok!" They smiled up at Delilah and ran off. She thought they were very sweet girls, and they reminded her a bit of how she and Christine used to get along at one point. Lizzie eerily looked very similar to Christine, something that gave Delilah the chills. She turned back to Rick and Carl.

"I'm sorry, I know it wasn't right to lie to them, but I couldn't risk telling them the truth. What if they said something to one of the adults from your group? I think they need to know about Carol before we break the news to Lizzie and Mika."

Rick nodded, she was right. What if Tyresse caused a public scene in front of everybody? It was better this way. "We'll tell them all."

"I know. Alright, I'll introduce you to everybody else."

The Grimes followed Delilah over to her group. "This is Ivan and Brandi Hendricks and Baby Cadence." Ivan was short and stocky with wavy reddish-blonde hair and squinty ice blue eyes. Brandi was a little bit taller than him with brown to blonde ombre hair and brown eyes and very thin, almost skeletal like. Baby Cadence looked just like Ivan but with almost white blonde hair, she was

"Howdy, Rick, Carl. Great to have you with us." Ivan greeted them with a big smile and a firm handshake while Brandi could barely shake their hand. Their personalities and attitudes contrasted one another hugely. Two pit bulls walked up and started nuzzling Carl.

"Pey-ton! Duke! Get down!" Brandi scolded the dogs, making Carl and Rick a little uncomfortable.

"Brandi, it's fine. They're becoming acquainted with Carl and Rick. Let them." Peyton was a shorter pit, a "pocket pit", and was brown and white while Duke was entirely tan. They both had their mouths open, panting and wagging their tails while they sniffed all over, proving to be very sweet for pit bulls.

Delilah turned to the next couple. "This is Caitlin and Mark, Taylee and Dominick's parents." The kids looked exactly like Caitlin with their hair and eye color and complexion. She was a couple inches shorter than Delilah and thin with a big smile, she looked similar to Emma Stone. Mark was a few inches taller and lean with tanned skin and dark hair and eyes. Caitlin was very enthusiastic about meeting the boys while Mark was more subdued. Rick couldn't help but think that maybe they should do a spousal swap.

"Javier and Matt." Javier was Hispanic and about Rick's height as well as lanky with brown eyes, curly brown hair, a gap in his teeth, while Matt was taller and buffer than Rick with thick black hair and green eyes. He looked a lot like Clark Gable. Javier held out his hand to Rick in a very feminine manner. "Officer, what a pleasure to meet you. My, my, what a hottie-patotie you are! They sure know how to grow them in Georgia!" Rick tried to shake his hand but Javier bent down and air kissed him on both cheeks, along with Carl. They were immediately uncomfortable and obviously not used to this kind of flamboyance, Delilah noticed their tension.

"Javi, he's straight, and your boyfriend is standing right there." She folded her arms and nodded toward Matt, who was smirking, obviously used to Javier's behavior. Javier just looked over and scoffed.

"What-evah! I'm free to look around the candy shop until Mr. Hot Shot over here puts a ring on it. Whoa-oh-oh!" Javier snapped his fingers in a zig-zag line and bopped his head in the same fashion. Rick and Carl looked over at each other, not knowing what to say or even think.

Matt extended his hand. "Don't mind him, he thinks he's really funny and cute, still holding onto his drag queen stage persona. Nice to meet you guys, heard a lot of awesome things about you." He seemed to have relaxed them a bit.

Javier put his hand on his hip and flipped his hair. "_I AM _really funny and cute! Nobody talks smack about Lady Butterfly, hon-ey!" He pouted.

Delilah just rolled her eyes before turning back to them. "See, I told you that Madison wasn't the wackiest member." She turned to the next couple. "Caroline and Vince." Caroline was short and African American with black hair and brown eyes with black rimmed glasses and a lovely smile, while Vince was Mexican with buzzed brown hair and cobalt blue eyes and well-built. They were both very friendly towards Rick and Carl. The next group looked to be around Carl's age, two boys and two girls. Delilah started pointing to each one.

"Kaki, Savannah, Brock, Jason." They were all smiles. Kaki and Savannah were identical twins with sandy blonde hair and light green blue eyes, they had a light dusting of freckles and were a few inches taller than Carl with cute figures. Rick wouldn't be surprised if Carl set his sights away from Delilah and onto one of the twins, if not both of them. It would prevent him from having a talk about Delilah. Brock was taller than all of them and looked a little like Howdy Doody with red hair hidden behind a San Francisco Giants baseball cap, spaced out teeth, and brown eyes, one looked a little to be like a lazy eye. Jason was about Carl's height with spiky blonde hair and hazel eyes.

"Whoa, dude! Carl, how rad to meet you, lil buddy!" Brock grabbed his hand and shook it, almost lifting Carl off the ground.

"Yeah! Finally, another guy in the group! We'll make it three's company!" Jason high fived him.

Carl was a little shocked but immediately adjusted to their reactions and high fived them back. "Looking forward to it."

Both Rick and Delilah were thrilled that this introduction had gone well. Delilah turned to Madison.

"Mads, Mac hasn't returned yet? His Harley is still in the parking lot."

Madison shook her head. "He took one of the trucks, he should be back soon if not tomorrow."

Delilah huffed, a little annoyed, but composed herself. "I wanted to do this all at once, but whatever. It's fine. Anyways, this is Tyler, the crazy one of the group."

Tyler was also tall and lanky with messy brown hair and honey colored eyes. He seemed to be a bit fidgety, but when Delilah walked up to him he was very excited. "Delilah! Finally! I missed you, honey pie!" He swept Delilah up in his arms and pressed his lips to hers in a hard kiss. Delilah let out a surprised squeal while trying to push him off of her. Rick and Carl looked over at each other, both having the same thought but not sharing it. _Who the hell is this guy to her?_

Delilah stomped on Tyler's foot and shoved him off of her. "Damn you, Tyler! What's your problem?!" She was clearly annoyed, and secretly panicked about what Rick and Carl now thought about her, _especially _Rick.

Tyler seemed unfazed by her reaction. "Sorry, doll." He turned to Rick and Carl. "Sherriff and Son! I knew my girl would find you!" He playfully punched Rick in the arm a little too hard and flicked off Carl's hat as he wrapped his arm around Delilah, who squeamishly shifted away from him.

"I'm not your girl! What kind of way is that to greet somebody?! Apologize to them, _now!" _Delilah was very irritated with Tyler, who cowered under her words. _Who the hell does he think he is manhandling me?!_ He bowed his head down, ashamed.

"Sorry about that, I'm just excited is all. Name's Tyler. Good meeting you."

Delilah turned around to see Carl looking a little hurt and Rick looking at her skeptically, with one eyebrow raised. _Fuck. I REALLY have some explaining to do. _She took a deep breath and smiled. "Thanks for apologizing. Sorry I ripped your head off, Tyler, but you know better." She patted his shoulder, which made him loosen up. "Ok, everybody, let's eat!"

_**45 Minutes Later…**_

After breakfast, the kids went upstairs for their lessons. Some of the adults went outside to garden, the rest went upstairs. Rick was glad that Carl had quickly bonded with Brock and Jason. They seemed to be exactly what he needed, and Rick hoped that these newfound friendships wouldn't be tragically cut short like Sophia and Patrick. After Caroline and Caitlin took Judith up to the nursery, Rick found Delilah waiting for him. She looked lost in thought, she hadn't been the same since the interaction with Tyler. He pondered on whether or not he should ask about it. Delilah looked over and snapped out of it as Rick walked up to her.

"Everybody is in Inventory Range. It's away from the kids and gives us some privacy. Your group is already waiting, I asked Ivan to come along as well. Ready?"

"Yes." He decided against asking, it wasn't his place or any of his business. Rick followed her outside, and they walked in silence until Delilah abruptly turned around.

"I saw the look on your face, and Carl's. Tyler is not my boyfriend, despite what he says. We made out a couple of times but never had sex. He's a nice guy but he's too rambunctious for me to be with. I'm not some loose piece of tail and I didn't want you to think less of me." For the second time that day, she looked guilty. Rick already knew that nothing was going on, but felt better that she had confirmed it. Had he actually been jealous? He looked at her and shrugged.

"It's not a big deal, nor is it any of my business. I wanted to make sure there wasn't a problem with him. I suddenly feel protective over you."

Delilah blinked, not expecting that reply at all. He saw her as a child, _not _as a woman! She wasn't one of his kids, she was a hot and sexy babe that wanted him in more way than one. _You're thinking like a crazy person, Lilah! Get a grip! Don't let this crush get in the way of being rational! Calm yourself down and now! _She wasn't sure if Rick could tell if she was flabbergasted or not, but she pulled herself together.

"I'm not a child. Look, there's some things I want to discuss with you. Can you meet me later?"

Rick hesitated, Delilah was becoming a temptation and he had to control it before things got out of hand and something good became ruined. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Please? It would really mean a lot to me. At least say you'll think about it, I just want to talk." She looked up at him with pleading eyes. _This girl is trouble, the good kind and the bad kind. What am I going to do?" _

"Ok, I'll think about it." He watched as she smiled at him. There was something about Delilah that Rick found a hard time saying "no" to her, which was odd considering they just met. Due to the situation they were in, things like destiny, fate, and love at first sight were no longer applicable, but could an instant attraction be at all possible? Maybe it was time to explore something new, if he allowed himself. The feelings were obviously mutual, perhaps they should discuss it all.

"Terrific." She turned on the ball of her feet and walked into the factory as he followed. They walked in to see Maggie, Glenn, Tyresse, Sasha, Bob, and Ivan all standing around a raised table with a map on it. Rick walked over to them as Delilah looked at Maggie. "Maggie, can I speak to you for a minute?" She nodded to the door.

"Sure." Maggie walked over and the two of them went outside. "What's up?"

"Rick told me about Carol and the reason why he banished her. He said he only told you, Daryl, and now Carl after they left the prison. I was curious if you told anybody and what you think about it?"

Maggie shook her head. "No, I didn't tell anybody else. I think it was a just decision."

Delilah nodded. "So do I, he did the right thing, it was very selfless and necessary. I told him that I personally think he should tell them, but that it was my opinion and ultimately up to him."

"I agree, it's time they knew. I'm sure he also told you how Tyresse handled the news last time?"

Delilah loved how her and Maggie thought alike on so many things, she was not only a powerful ally, but a great leader and friend.

"Yeah, he told me. It won't happen again, I'm making sure of that, but it doesn't mean I'm not worried it will." Delilah hugged her arms and looked down. Maggie could sense that maybe Delilah was feeling something towards Rick, but shook it off as her wanting to be protective over everybody.

"It won't. We should get back inside."

"Yes, we should. I'm glad we found him, I hope the next one we find is your sister. It seems like you guys are close, and after everything that happened, you should be together again." Delilah meant every word of what she said, and it made her think of Christine, how they were close long ago.

Maggie smiled. "Thanks, Delilah. You're a strong leader and a good friend, I can tell you have a huge heart." Both girls smiled as Maggie wrapped an arm around Delilah, walking inside.

_**INVENTORY RANGE**_

Delilah walked up to the raised table where the map was and placed The Beacon down. "Ok, let's get to work." Everybody gathered around the table and looked down at the map. It was filled with tiny red X's and blue circles, representing places already searched and future locations, respectively. There was a green star by Douglasville with "Glenn, Judith, Kids Bus" written on it. Delilah grabbed a green marker and spoke as she wrote. "Rick and Carl, Peachtree City." and put a star next to it before turning to Rick. "We found you in Peachtree City, which is an hour away from here but almost three hours from the prison. That means that everybody else could have scattered out as well."

"Where we looking next?" Bob asked.

"Greenville and Orchard Hill. They're past Peachtree on 75, but they're worth a shot." Glenn said.

"Ok, we'll put it down." Delilah circled said cities with a blue marker. "We've tried all the cities around the prison, maybe we should venture out farther. Columbus, Macon, Augusta, Savannah. What do you think, Rick?" She turned and looked at him.

"They couldn't have gone that far unless they took a car, but everybody ran in different directions. Maybe Daryl found one up the road and hotwired it, but I thought I saw Michonne go off eastward. What about re-searching the cities closest to the prison?"

"Maybe, I have a feeling Beth would stay close, but I don't think she'd go back to the farm." Maggie stated.

"What about farther, out by the 575? Jasper, Dawsonville, Ball Ground?" Ivan inquired.

"Yeah, we'll put it down." Delilah circled them. "Don't forget, we already have Mac looking in the westward cities."

"Do you think they could have gotten down to Fort Gaines?" Sasha asked.

"Or even Fort Benning?" Tyresse piped in.

Delilah shook her head. "Fort Gaines is too far down, Fort Benning is most likely a ghost town by now. Again, not without a car."

"Or a horse, maybe Michonne was able to catch Flame." Rick thought back on Michonne's horse, hoping that he didn't have the same fate as the horse he took to Atlanta or any of the horses on the farm, but it was probably inevitable that he had.

"Don't forget Carol." Tyresse spoke up. Maggie, Delilah, and Rick all froze, with the girls looking up at each other. Delilah leaned into Rick.

"Rick, it's time. Tell them." She mumbled and looked into his eyes assertively. He had been dodging this for so long. He looked over at Maggie, who nodded. It had been long enough.

"What's going on?" Sasha asked.

Everybody else looked confused. Rick heavily sighed, dreading what could possibly transpire.

"We won't be looking for Carol. I banished her from the group. She's the one behind Karen and David's deaths. She claimed that she killed them for the good of the group, but she's an erratic hazard for the rest of us and could no longer be trusted."

The looks on their faces went from confused to shock and horror, unable to register the news they had just received. Delilah and Maggie both looked solemn and stoic, not saying a word. Rick's heart was beating out of his chest from the silence.

"Who else knows?" Sasha whispered.

"Maggie and Daryl, I told Carl after the riot and Delilah this morning. I would have said something sooner but I didn't get the chance."

Tyresse was heaving mad, the anger building up, and his body was trembling. He glared at Rick and slammed his fist down on the table.

"YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH BASTARD!"

He raised his other fist up to hit Rick, Sasha screamed and tried to grab him, but he was too strong. As his fist was about to meet the side of Rick's face, Delilah reached up and caught it in her hand, a loud smacking sound filled the factory. Maggie gasped, and everybody else went wide eyed. Only Rick, Ivan, and Glenn were able to see the pained expression on Tyresse's face, while Sasha, Bob, and Maggie saw Delilah. Her face was turned up in an enraged glare, her eyes narrowed angrily and she gripped his fist tighter.

"Put. It. Down. _**Now**_." She hissed at him. It was the first time she had exhibited anger in front of them, but Tyresse had gone too far in attempting to punch Rick. He reluctantly put his arm down as she released her grip, her eyes still narrowed at him.

"I don't know what the hell you think you're doing, but I _**will not **_tolerate that kind of behavior. Rick did what had to be done, he saw a risk and took initiative before things got worse, and it was all for the good of the group. _**Don't you dare ever lay a finger on him again, **_or there will be consequences for your actions. _**DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!" **_Delilah was semi-snarling and seething mad, but she didn't yell like she wanted to. The entire room went silent and Tyresse actually looked terrified of her. Rick was surprised by how she rose to his defense so quickly and in such an aggressive manner. She was gallant, but Rick couldn't help but think to himself if she would have done it even if she wasn't attracted to him?

Tyresse nodded. "Yes, I understand."

"Good." Delilah turned back to the map. "We're only looking for Michonne, Daryl, and Beth. We'll see what happens when Mac returns. Tyresse and Ivan, I want you to take Brandi and cover the 575. Glenn," She looked over at him. "Are you feeling up to going with Maggie?"

He nodded. "Absolutely, I'm feeling one hundred percent better." Mac had stopped at nothing to make sure that Glenn and the others were back in good health, he was a Godsend.

"Ok, good. You'll take the 75. Bob and Sasha, go back up by the prison and search the area again. Rick and I will tackle Columbus and Fort Gaines. I want Ivan, Tyresse, and Brandi to go as soon as Mac gets here, granted he hasn't found anybody, then Bob and Sasha. I can't risk having too many of you out at the same time, so we'll be taking shifts. After you come back, Rick and I will go. No matter how long it takes, we _will _find the rest." She stuck her hand out in the middle of the map and looked at the others, waiting for them to join in. Rick placed his hand on top of hers and she instantaneously felt a spark as their eyes met. The moment was cut short when one by one, the others put their hands in as well. Delilah looked around.

"I promise. I've more than proven I'm good to my word. Meeting adjourned." They raised their hands up and went their separate ways, Delilah looked down and saw that The Beacon had been smashed when Tyresse slammed his fist on the table.

"Shit." She mumbled under her breath, loud enough for Glenn and Maggie to look over and see the damage.

"I can probably fix that, Delilah. I'm pretty good with tools." Glenn offered, remembering how Dale used to teach him to work with his tools. She smiled as she handed him the broken gadget.

"Thanks, Glenn. You're a really good guy. Maybe it needed to be fixed so it won't be so glitchy." They had a short laugh, easing some of the tension.

"I'll try my best." Glenn grabbed Maggie's hand and they walked out. Only Rick and Delilah were left in the factory, she could feel his eyes on her, and wasn't sure whether to feel stimulated or worried. She turned around to face him and was met with an awkward silence for about a minute, they just looked at each other staidly, not saying a word.

"Why did you-"

"I suddenly feel protective over you."

She brushed past him and Rick turned to watch her walk out of the factory. Was she mocking him from earlier? Of course she was! Wasn't she? No, she meant it, just like he had. He didn't know what it was, but for the first time in probably twenty five years, Rick Grimes was fascinated by a girl.

"What a woman."

_**LEISURE ZONE, 10:00 PM**_

"Ok, everybody, it's 10 o'clock! Leisure Zone is closed for the night! Head back to Home Base, bed time is in one hour! See you in the morning!" Brandi announced over the loud speakers, which still worked. Everybody began filing out, but Madison, Delilah, Caitlin, and Caroline had clean up duty. Delilah saw Rick walking with Judith and grabbed a leather CD case holder.

"Rick, wait!" She ran up to him as he turned around.

"Yes?"

"Have you decided about meeting me? All I want to do is talk." She looked into his eyes earnestly. Rick wanted to say that he decided against meeting her, but he found himself nodding.

"Yes. When and where?"

She had a little grin on her face, trying to not to seem overly excited but still keeping her cool. "After everybody's gone to sleep, so midnight. In the hallway."

"Ok, I'll be there." He couldn't believe he was going through with this, but what would be the harm in talking? It wasn't entirely giving into temptation.

"Perfect. Hey, Carl!" Carl looked over at them, excusing himself from the other teenagers. "Catch!" She threw him the CD case and he caught it perfectly. "Nice catch, buddy!"

"Thanks, what is it?" He unzipped the case and flipped through the CDS.

"Just a little welcome present of all my favorite CDS. I put all the classics in there, including The Who. Listen to "Baba O'Reiley/Teenage Wasteland" and "My Generation", but don't forget The Beatles' White Album, that one is golden."

Carl looked very enthusiastic. "Wow, thank you! I'll listen to all of them."

Delilah smiled, she knew he'd like the CDS. "I gotta get back to clean up duty, the girls are waiting for me." She lowered her voice. "I'll see you at midnight, Officer Grimes." She winked at him, trying to be discreet, as she bent down and kissed Judith on the head. "Good night, little angel." Delilah walked away as Rick turned around to see her walking up to Carl. "Good night, Carl. Happy listening. I expect a full report in the morning!" She ambled off as Carl stood, watching dreamily, which made Rick feel all the more guilty.

_**HOME BASE, MIDNIGHT**_

Rick watched the clock strike twelve, and heavily sighed as he grabbed a T-shirt to wear with his drawstring pajama bottoms. He usually slept in boxer briefs, but he wasn't going to show up to meet Delilah like that, it would be improper. Different emotions were flooding through him. Excitement, curiosity, guilt. Curious to find out what she wanted to talk about, guilty because he probably shouldn't be meeting with her, and excited to see her again. Delilah could be something more, except he had to be cautious and think with his head instead of his heart, or in this case, instead of his groin. After checking on Judith and closing the door of Carl's room, Rick walked out into the hallway as the same time Delilah walked out of her room.

They stopped and looked at each other for a moment. She was no longer in the outfit she was wearing all day and now wearing a black camisole tank top that rode up a little and black satin shorts. Rick gulped as he took in every single curvature of her body that was bathed in blue moonlight. Delilah was a bombshell, every single part of her was toned from her hyperextension legs to her breasts, she was the kind of girl men overseas would fight to come home to if there were ever a war. He watched as she sauntered over to him and didn't say anything, their eyes did the talking. Delilah held out her hand to him. Rick hesitated, but placed his hand in hers, having a feeling that she wanted to do more than talk. The spark from earlier had now ignited when their hands touched. She lead him down the hall and inside her bedroom, closing the door. They thought this was a secret meeting, but they didn't know that someone had been watching the whole time…

_**OOOO! WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN BEHIND THE CLOSED DOOR?! WILL TYLER FLIP OUT? WHAT DID WE THINK OF THIS CHAPTER AND THE ORIGINAL CHARACTERS? WHAT ABOUT TYRESSE' REACTION TO CAROL AND DELILAH DEFENDING RICK? WILL RICK TAKE A CHANCE ON HER? THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY ATTRACTED TO ONE ANOTHER! WILL CARL EVER FIND OUT ABOUT THE KISS? FIND OUT ALL THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS AND MORE IN CHAPTER SIX****, COMING SOON!**_

_**BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE STORY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**_

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!**_


	6. Chapter Six: Surreptitious Attractions

******Hello world and my wonderful readers! WHAT DID WE THINK OF THE PREMIERE?! It had me on the edge of my seat, I was so freaked out! I got a lot of comparisons that Rick and Carl going into the house was similar to Chapter One, which came entirely from imagination, I had no idea that that's what would happen, I'm so honored! I'm so glad that Rick is alive, and _Talking Dead_ was absolutely hilarious! #pudding! Carl was a little brat and horrible to Rick in this episode, but fantastic acting on Chandler Riggs' part, he knocked it out of the park! I see an Emmy nom in the future ;). It was interesting to finally see more insight on Michonne, and I'm liking the new episode format, the format for the rest of the season is new and very different. I was going to post this when I woke up, but I can't sleep so I figured I'd just put it up now. I hope to wake up to some reviews! ;] **

******PLEASE READ BELOW BEFORE CONTINUING TO THE CHAPTER!**

**This chapter is one of the longer ones, I really wanted delve further into Delilah's back story, which is rather traumatic. As I have stated, Delilah is me, but the events that happened to her DID NOT happen to me. The way I see Rick's relationship with Delilah is similar to Marius and Cosette in _Les Miserables,_ where they see each other and they fall in love at first sight, except for in this instance, it's an immediate attraction and seeing what it could go into. It can exist, even if it may seem unrealistic. Rick may seem a little out of character in the middle and near the end, I'm attempting to exhibit that he is taking a chance and trying to go about things more optimistically, that the feelings he's having are making him realize that life goes on even when you lose the one you love and that he deserves to be happy. I also had to make up his childhood and teen years as I went along. ****AGAIN, ****What would be the point of FanFiction if some of the characters always resembled how they were on the shows? If you don't like my story or have a problem with my writing style, then don't bother reading it.**

**Thank you very much for the reviews so far! I hope to reach 100 or more. If anybody has any ideas for the story or original characters, feel free to message me! I would love to hear them. Thanks to Knute for creating the character of Mac and especially thank you to SilverSun09, one of my FanFiction best friends! You have helped me immensely with this chapter AND the story itself. You rock and are so talented and awesome. Thank you again for everything. :) Daryl will be coming into the story most likely in Chapter Fourteen. I want the next couple of chapters to focus on Rick and Delilah, then Daryl will be in the picture.**

**The inspiration for this story was based around the idea I came up with of everybody living in a Jelly Belly factory! Lmao I AM OBSESSED WITH JELLY BELLIES! That and the idea is out of the box, which is exactly how I am. I hope everybody likes the cover image I made for the story. If you haven't figured it out, Delilah is me. ;P Hehehe sorry but it's true!**

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE, JELLY BELLY, OR YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), DAVID KLEIN AND THE JELLY BELLY COMPANY, AND THE ROLLING STONES, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.**_

_**Chapter Six: Surreptitious Attractions**_

_**She lead him down the hall and inside her bedroom, closing the door. They thought this was a secret meeting, but they didn't know that someone had been watching the whole time… **_

Once the door was locked, Delilah kissed Rick for the second time, putting her hands on his shoulders and standing on her tiptoes, pressing herself against him. Instinctively, and for a brief moment, he wrapped his arms around her waist, his hands landing on the small of her back. They melted into each other's touch, both secretly thrilled to be kissing again, and enjoying it too much to stop. It was shorter than the one in the bathroom and not as passionate, but very tender. This time, she was the one that broke the kiss. They looked into each other's eyes, neither one of them saying anything, as the sounds of the night snuck their way through the window and into the room. Rick cupped her face with both hands, unsure if he should be doing that. She batted her long dark lashes, gazing at him with an eager curiosity, waiting for his next move.

"We can't do that." Rick found himself second guessing the statement. _Can we? No, we can't. Why not?_

"Why not?" _Is she reading my mind?_

"You know why." _I don't even know why, how would she know? _

She raised an eyebrow at him and narrowed her eyes seductively, like a frisky feline. "Do I really know why or do you just think I know why?"

Rick honestly wanted to grab her face and kiss her fervently, she was so adorable and knew how to turn him on without even trying. Never had he felt such strong feelings for somebody he had known for less than twenty four hours. _Pull yourself together, Rick. Get to the bottom of this. _He dropped his hands from her face and stepped back, folding his arms across his chest, attempting to act serious.

"What do you want with me? You're young, you're beautiful and smart, you'd never have a problem getting any guy you wanted, so why me? I'm a single dad with two kids, one of which has a crush on you."

Delilah looked at him, trying not to laugh, but also looked completely somber. "I'm well aware about Carl. You didn't think I heard the conversation earlier when I was showing you guys Leisure Zone, but I did, and if he saw me ten years ago, he wouldn't have bothered to take a second glance." Rick looked confused as she turned around and grabbed something off of the dresser. She handed him a slightly worn out photograph. He looked down to see the picture was of a young girl standing on a podium in a blue ice skating dress and white figure skates with her hair up in a bun. She looked exactly the same but was kind of chubby and much shorter.

"This is you?"

She nodded. "Yep. I started developing when I was twelve and in a D cup bra at thirteen. With that came twenty pounds of baby fat that wouldn't go away no matter what I did. When I stopped skating at fifteen, I suddenly grew six inches, the baby fat was gone, and it seemed like everybody wanted me. If I didn't look how I do now, he wouldn't be interested. Nobody would be. I carry it around to remind myself of what I don't want to be. The girl in the shadows, the one that's picked over for something or somebody better, the one that's ignored."

It was at that moment that Rick could see right through her. Both of them were harboring issues underneath, her insecurities and his guilt. He set the picture down and looked into her eyes again. "You are the furthest thing from being ignored or in the shadows. I've only known you for a day, but I feel like it's been longer. I watched you with the group, both your's and mine, and they love you. The way those kids reacted when you walked into the room, you do have a family, those people care about you."

She walked off a little, hugging her arms, and stopped at the window, gazing down. "They're my new family, but something doesn't feel the same. The ones that I always wanted acceptance from are gone, and I'll never get it back." It was true. Although she loved and cared for everybody in her group and now Rick's group, the people that _needed _to see how far she'd come weren't around, it was almost as if none of this mattered.

"That's why we start fresh, it's the only way to survive. We adapt and adjust but we still make the best of it, even at rock bottom."

"Like with you and me?" Delilah turned around and smiled, feeling hopeful. Her youthful innocence captured her beauty perfectly, it made Rick's heart stop. It seemed like all she really wanted was to be loved by somebody, but could it be by him?

"I don't really know how to answer that."

She was still bathed in the moonlight and he noticed her eyes were sparkling as she spoke.

"I can't deny the feelings I'm starting to have, Rick. I don't know what it is, there's some kind of magnetism that's drawn me to you. I know that this is insane because we just met, but I think you may be feeling something, too. Why else would you have kissed me back both times?" Delilah wasn't even going to mention the trouser snake, that would be asking for it.

If only she knew that he had been asking himself that all day and for the past few minutes.

"Delilah, I told you. I'm old enough to be your father, you're closer to Carl's age than you are to mine."

"Carl's a great kid, but let's get real here. Nothing can happen there, it's only ever going to be a crush. It doesn't matter to me that you have kids. I used to think the dad on _Full House_ was really sexy, and the one on _Modern Family." _

He gave her a strange look, followed by a short laugh, which she joined in before speaking again.

"I'm not interested in you to fulfill the void of not having a dad. I know that you're still grieving over your wife. Despite everything that happened, I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss my sister and fiancé from time to time. Billy was my first love, what you had with Lori I wanted to have with him. Marriage, children, a house in the suburbs. Except he wasn't who I thought he was after all. I'm sure I'll get there someday, with whomever it may be with. If this apocalypse has taught me anything, it's that time is not on our side and we can't afford to take chances. The days of holding back and playing games are long gone, which is why I'm laying all my cards out on the table with you, Rick. I like you for who you are and I want to get to know you on a more personal, intimate, level. I figure since I know so much about you, that you should know more about me. There's only so many people I let in on my life story, the parts I choose not to leave out, at least."

Rick wanted to tell her that the feeling was mutual, but that there was still guilt over Lori, except wouldn't she want him to move on and be happy? Delilah was absolutely right, any moment of happiness that came around had to be seized immediately before it was gone. What was the point of holding back? He heavily exhaled, deciding that he had to live up to what he was, an honest man.

"The magnetism that you're feeling, you're not the only one. I like you, too, Delilah. I'm utterly fascinated with you. Your beauty, your charisma, your wisdom. I do think we should get to know each other better and take it slow."

If only Rick knew that Delilah's inner self was jumping up and down squealing. _He likes me, he likes me! _She nodded. "I can go as slow as you need, but just know this: I will wait for you. When you feel that you're ready to go all the way with whatever we get ourselves into, I'll be here, for as long as it takes." Delilah meant every word she said. Patience was a virtue, one that she never exhibited very well, but for him, she would.

_She really is wise beyond her years. It's almost enough to overlook how old she actually is. Almost. _"When it happens, you'll be the first to know, I promise."

"Good. Why don't you sit down and relax? Make yourself comfortable." She walked over and sat on the bed, crossing her legs as she leaned back on her palms. Rick took in every inch of her, up and down, the racing thoughts of devouring her were starting to travel from his mind to his groin. Delilah was irresistible. He looked down, trying to control himself.

"Uh, ok. Do you have a sweater or a robe you could put on?" Rick asked, clearing his throat and yanking at his shirt collar a bit. That was the first time a guy had wanted her to put clothes _on_ and not take them all off, but she found it to be refreshing. Delilah noticed that he had been checking her out, and he actually seemed nervous. Rick was proving to be a Southern gentleman instead of some hick ass country bumpkin.

"Whatever you like, Sheriff." She winked and rolled over, walking to the closet while Rick sat down on the corner of the bed. Delilah threw on a Luc Robitaille Los Angeles Kings jersey and laid down on her stomach across from Rick. The top was long enough but had ridden up to her lower back, he could see that she had an adorable heart shaped birthmark.

"Luc Robitaille, huh? I remember when he was first starting out. Good player."

Delilah nodded. "Yep. The Kings used to practice at the same ice skating rink as I did. Luc and I would always run into each other, it was pretty cute. I even bought him a Canadian Mickey Mouse pin that he put on his glove." She smiled, reminiscing on happier times, and looked over at Rick. "I said to get comfortable. Come on, lay down, loosen up those britches." They both laughed over that as he obliged and laid down, sinking into the pillows. "That's better. So, where should I start?" It was taking everything in Delilah's power not to straddle him and start heavily making out, with one thing leading to another, and…

"Wherever you'd like, I'm all ears, you have my undivided attention."

Delilah wanted to completely open up to Rick, there was something so peaceful and comforting about him, it felt like coming home. At times, she felt like she had lived about ten lives in her twenty two years.

"Well, like I mentioned a couple of times earlier, I was a competitive figure skater for almost ten years. I was pretty good, too, I won over a hundred titles, but I could have been better."

Rick whistled. "A hundred titles? That's legendary. I'm impressed." It made him think of his baseball playing days.

"Thanks. Again, I could have been better. I just didn't have the heart for it. I never wanted to practice, the coaches at the rink never wanted to work with me, all I wanted to do was perform the routines. When I got on the ice and heard the music playing, I was myself. A shining star, a show stopper, the one that everybody couldn't keep their eyes off of."

_You're still those things now. _Rick thought to himself, watching her smile as she reflected on her memories.

"That's how I got into dance after I quit skating. When I skated, my mom and I picked the music and the costumes and choreographed the routines, it felt like I was in a competition every weekend, which I was ninety percent of the time. I should have known back then I was impulsive. Never wanting to walk, always wanting to run, run, run."

"I can see that. After all, you did kiss me… twice." He held up two fingers as Delilah looked over at him, resting her head in her palm, propping up on her elbow.

"Yes, and you didn't resist me right away… twice." She held up two fingers and smirked, which made both of them laugh.

"Anyways, back to the story. Don't get me wrong, I regret quitting. Every time the Winter Olympics or skating in general was on TV, my heart would shatter into a million pieces, and I'd think "That could have been me.". It just wasn't my calling, I outgrew it, or more, it outgrew me. I kind of peaked at thirteen, when I started going through puberty. My mom always said it's what killed my skating career, and she might have been right. How many professional figure skaters do you see with double D breasts? Not many. That and I didn't want to be one of those vapid bitches that slept, ate, and breathed skating, it was a total buzz kill of their personalities. It felt like every single time I walked into the rink, "Swan Lake" or "Sleeping Beauty" would be blaring from the speakers. Tchaikovsky, ya know?"

"Right." Rick nodded.

"I remember one competition, five different girls skated to "Swan Lake" and six skated to "Sleeping Beauty". It felt like I was in Stepford, everybody was the same, I resented it. My whole life, I've always been this square peg trying to fit into a round hole and I fight the world trying to be my own person."

Rick really admired that she was determined to be herself and not changing to fit what others wanted, integrity was a hard thing to find in a person nowadays. "It's rare to find somebody who actually sticks to that, seems like at one point or another, most people succumb to pressure."

"Don't I know it? Sticking to my wits got me into a lot of trouble and caused huge problems. The other kids didn't like that. I hardly had any friends and was constantly bullied. Even back then, it was survival of the fittest. If one member of the popular group pitied me or actually enjoyed my company, they'd go into isolation out of fear of becoming the next target. I was depressed, but threw myself into my studies the best that I could, which lead to me skipping two grades and graduating from high school at sixteen. If you haven't been able to pick up on it, I was somewhat of a prodigy." Delilah rolled her eyes. "What was life like growing up for Rick Grimes? Lots of siblings on a huge farm with tons of animals, Boy Scout, varsity letterman, Capitan of the football team, prom king, the guy that all the girls wanted and all the guys wanted to be?"

Rick laughed. "Close. I grew up near a farm, no siblings, but I did have a lot of cousins and two hounds. A Bassett Hound named Floppy and a Blood Hound named Popeye. I was in the Boy Scouts, but not on the football team. Baseball was my sport, all star hitter. I was pretty great, too. Would have gone pro if it weren't for a career ending leg injury. After that, I really got involved in academics. President of the archery club, a member of Junior Government, a mathlete. I was kind of a nerd, I wore these glasses that were bigger than my face, and I was really scrawny. Like you, that changed when I had a growth spurt. Shane was the ladies man, not me. I got the only girl I ever set my sights on, Lori. She was on the cheerleading squad and the most popular girl in school, and it was because of her that I got elected prom king." He was surprised with himself that he was able to talk about Lori so casually, like they had only gotten divorced and she hadn't died a horrible tragic death. It also surprised him how easily he was talking with Delilah, like they had known each other for years. "Tell me about your family."

Delilah hesitated and took a deep breath. Family was always a touchy subject, but she decided it was better to get everything out in the open than holding back. She sat up against the pillows with her knees up.

"Christine is my half sister, four years older than me, we have the same father. Her mother took off and never came back, which is why she tried to take my own mother for herself. My mom adopted her and treated her like she was her biological daughter, but being younger, I got all the attention. My paternal grandma adored Christine and Dad, they were the favorites, she could care less about me or my cousins. I was closer to my mom than my dad, he was a fucking bastard." She let out a shaky breath, already feeling the tears build up.

"He was abusive to all of us, but he really couldn't stand me because I was an oddball and he was such a perfectionist. I remember one time he beat Mom so badly that she landed in the hospital. Gave her a black eye, broke her nose and her ribs. She was unable to leave because he had her named signed to all of his business accounts, and if she left, she'd be penniless. One day, he came after her with a knife and she shot him in the head. Written off as self defense. Turns out he had been fooling around but the life insurance policy was still in my mom's name. When news of the apocalypse broke out, she said if the world was coming to an end, she wanted to spend it in Europe, so that's where she went.

Christine and I were closer when we were younger, but after my dad died, when we really should have been close, we drifted apart. My mom threw me into the skating and Christine wanted nothing to do with it, so she rebelled. She was the popular one, tons of friends and boyfriends, she also got into drinking and drugs. Christine had the life I wanted, not being alone, that is. When I had my growth spurt and lost the weight, I was the one everybody wanted and she was left in the dust. The guilt overshadowed the victory. I wanted it all, for things between us to be like they used to be, but still have everything else going well. Keep in mind, my sudden transformation also came with unwanted attention. It seemed like the only thing these guys wanted out of me was a fuck n' flee. I know that being impulsive and the way I dress that I'm a walking contradiction, but I'm not going to conceal how I look or what I'm about to prevent the inevitable attention from happening. I had given up on dating for a while, until I met Billy. He was in the same graduating class as Christine, they knew each other pretty well. I remember, from the first time I saw him, that he was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. He was unique and outgoing and didn't give a damn what anybody thought of him. We fell in love and were practically inseparable, except I always had a plaguing thought in the back of my mind that something was going on between him and Christine. I tried to brush it off as paranoia, but that day in Texas, all my fears were confirmed. They conspired against me. Family should never turn their back on each other, and I got dealt a shitty card. Even if the two of them are alive, they're dead to me."

The tears were now brimming her eyelids, tears of anger and distress. Rick could feel her trembling a little and looked over at her with concern, but she kept her eyes down, hugging her knees.

"I used to be haunted by my past, and at times, I still am. Apart from the family issues, I was molested when I was a little girl. A friend of my father's. I told him and he did nothing about it, and I was so scared that I didn't tell anybody else. He died not too long after, and I never saw his friend again, but I'm still scarred for life. The reason why I try to be so outgoing and bubbly but also acting strictly business, besides only living once, it's because I'm trying to outrun my issues." Delilah didn't even blink and two single tears fell down her cheeks as she looked up at Rick.

The sight of her crying made his heart sink to the pit of his stomach. It also made him infuriated, that somebody would do such a thing to an innocent little girl. Rick had dealt with men like that before, they were nothing more than deranged pedophiles. For such a strong girl, Delilah was also delicate and vulnerable. It would have made most people run away, but for Rick, it showed him that she was a survivor in the face of adversity. He did something that was uncharacteristic, even to his own self: Rick tilted her chin to face him, his understanding eyes boring into her gloomy ones, and gently kissed her.

It took her a little by surprise, but she reciprocated, kissing him back with the same softness. Delilah had never believed in the term "making love", but if she did, this is how she imagined it would be like, and it made her realize that she hoped things with Rick would get to that level.

As he kissed her, Rick could feel his apprehensions start to dissolve a little bit. The fact that they had just met was starting to become a distant memory, she had stripped her soul to the core for him in a single night and didn't hold anything back. Their lips separated and she looked up at him, her eyes still filled with tears, but had a relaxed look in them. Every time they made eye contact, it left him enthralled. Her eyes were so mystical and alluring, like they knew the answers to all the questions of the world, but he noticed something: One eye was green and one eye was blue.

"I know that you would never let anything bad happen to Carl and Judith like what happened to me."

He nodded and wiped her tears away. "Absolutely." Carl and Judith were his life, he'd be dead if it weren't for them. Sure, he and Carl have had their mishaps in the past, but nothing would ever get in the way of protecting him. Once Delilah calmed down, Rick asked her something. "Has anybody ever told you that you have the most gorgeous eyes?"

She broke out into a smile and giggled, the rigidity from her confession loosening up. "Thank you, and yes, they have. Right back at you, Sheriff." Rick's eyes were dreamy, she could see herself getting lost in them one of these days. "Alright, enough with the sadness. Let's go with the other good and quirky facts about me. As you can tell from earlier, I can perfectly imitate a dolphin." They both started laughing over that, and things were back to normal as they chatted away into the night…

_**Three Hours Later**_

Rick crawled into bed and nestled comfortably under the covers. He didn't want to leave Delilah's room, they were having such a wonderful time, but they needed to get to sleep. Rick learned a lot of other things about Delilah, like that she was a big kid at heart, had a collection of Sailor Moon dolls and seashells, been on television multiple times for her skating and dancing, fractured her nose in a surfing accident when she was seventeen, was an avid reader, a fantastic cook, and yes, her eyes did change color when she cried. She also admitted to having an obsession with Jelly Bellys, which is why she came to the factory in the first place, and wore a gold and multicolored rhinestoned phoenix necklace to remind her that she was strong and rose above her issues. The more he got to know her, the more he liked her, but could it really go any where? Rick pondered to himself as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep…

_**FIVE MINUTES LATER…**_

Blue waves gently crashing up against the shore, the sun shining brightly, white sands that went on for miles. A light breeze perfectly complimented this tropical paradise as a ukulele played. Rick woke up to find himself in a hammock wearing a red and white Tommy Bahama shirt with white linen pants, black sandals and black sunglasses. He looked around, confused. "How did I get here?" Rick stepped out of the hammock, further inspecting the island, but it seemed isolated until a short Hawaiian man approached him with a coconut.

"Drink, Mr. Grimes?" The waiter asked as he handed him the coconut.

Though skeptical, Rick nodded and accepted. "Thanks. Do you know why I'm here?" The drink was a pina colada, and the sweetest one he ever had, he finished the whole thing in less than a minute.

"Ah, I can not be the one to tell you that, sir. My apologies." The waiter walked off, leaving Rick even more confused.

"It's about time you showed up."

Rick turned around, recognizing the voice, and couldn't believe the sight in front of him.

Lori stood before him, looking as beautiful as she did on their wedding day, wearing her wedding dress that she wore in all his hallucinations.

"Lori?"

She smiled brightly at him. "Hi, Rick."

He walked over to her, both puzzled and elated, as he swept her up in his arms, never wanting to let go again. Rick set her down and looked at her.

"Where are we, is this heaven?"

"It is for me, but you're still in the REM cycle. You'll be getting here, but it won't be for many years. You've got a long life ahead of you, Rick."

"I do?" This was all starting to make him wonder why he was having this dream in the first place, but he figured it was his subconscious.

Lori nodded. "Yes, and the reason why I'm here is to tell you it's ok to move on. You've grieved long enough, you have to let go and embrace whatever good is left in the world."

He wasn't sure if this was some kind of a cruel joke, how could she say that? "How can I? I'm still in love with you. Now that you're gone, life isn't the same."

Lori looked out into the ocean, she knew if she looked into his eyes, that she'd cry also. The days of crying needed to come to an end, she had to push him down the path he needed to be on. "I know that you still love me, you'll always love me, but it's time to start living life again, for your own sake."

She was right, he was allowing the guilt to eat away at him instead of rising above it all. Rick needed to grab the reigns to his life and be in control again.

"I'm guessing that means you know about Delilah? There's so much about her that reminds me of you, Lori."

"I do. We were going parking when she was still in diapers." They both started laughing over that, then she resumed speaking. "All jokes aside, I think she's exactly what you need. She's had a troubled past, but she has a heart of gold and her intentions are pure. I know that you're starting to have feelings for her and that you've somewhat acted on them, but that you're holding yourself back from fully responding. I want you to be happy again, Rick, and this girl will help you get there. After all, she reunited you and Carl with Judith and the others. You're doing such a terrific job with our children, but you need to remember take care of yourself, too. I will always be with you, but my passing is no reason to live out the rest of your days alone."

Her words were full of truth, he had to start fresh, just like he had told Delilah earlier. There was nothing wrong with it, but now was the time to take action and move forward, no longer would he allow the weight of the world to swallow him whole.

"Happiness is waiting for you on the other side, baby. Take it and hold on with everything you've got, don't ever let it slip away." Lori closed the gap between them with one last loving kiss. Rick pulled her in closer, never wanting to let her go, but knowing he had to. She put her hand on his face. "Good bye, Rick. Until we meet again…" Rick watched as she walked away, but not before turning around and shooting him a beautiful smile, then everything went to white.

Rick woke up in his bed and glanced at the clock, seeing that it was 8:15, an hour and a half before everybody else would be awake. Today was the first day of the rest of his life. His injuries from his fight with The Governor had healed, he was reunited with some of the group and the rest would be found soon, both of his children were in the same place at once, they had a roof over their heads and a new group that welcomed them with open arms, and this was all because of Delilah. She was a stranger that bent over backwards to bring them together again without wanting anything in return, except for wanting him. There was still good in this world despite the catastrophic debris they were surrounded in, and Delilah was the perfect example of that. She saw him for who he was and what he had endured and didn't dare judge him, instead she was accepting and trusted him enough to open up about her own struggles. Rick got out of bed, ready to start the day.

_**TEN MINUTES LATER…**_

Freshly cleaned and dressed, Rick strolled down the hall to Delilah's room, where he could hear the faint sound of "You Can't Always Get What You Want" by The Rolling Stones. It made him think of the lyrics. "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you'll find that you get what you need." Lori would always be with him spiritually, but she had appeared in his dream to give him her blessing to move on, and Delilah was exactly what he needed, the first step in the right direction. Rick laughed to himself and smiled as he knocked on her door.

Delilah was brushing her teeth, rocking out to The Rolling Stones, when she heard a knock on the door. She rolled her eyes, wondering who it could be. With the toothbrush in her hand and a mouthful of toothpaste, she quickly threw on a pair of turquoise velour Juicy Couture sweat pants with the black camisole, and spoke as she opened her door. "Madison, I swear if you tell me you lost your vibrator again I'm gonna-" Before she could finish her sentence, Rick stepped in, gently grabbing her face and surprising her with an ardent kiss. It caught her completely off guard, but she found herself responding favorably, until he stopped. Delilah gulped down the huge wad of toothpaste in her mouth and was blinking her eyes a little, still taken aback, as she looked at a smiling Rick. "Wow. If I knew that's how you greeted somebody first thing in the morning, I would have made sure to have found you a hell of a lot sooner."

Rick laughed, maybe some of her impulsive actions had rubbed off on him, it was something new to him, just like being patient was to her. "Still want to take things slow? I've heard that you don't like to do things in baby steps."

She smiled up at him, feeling giddy for once in the past two years. "I don't, but like I said, I will for you." Delilah didn't know what it was that had changed from the time he left her room to now, but she was liking it. "What happened? You've gone from skeptical to leaping in twenty four hours."

If he told her about the dream, she'd probably think he was crazy. It didn't matter, this was the push that was considered necessary. "Let's just say, I woke up with a newfound sense of clarity." That was as close to the truth as it could get.

"I like it. So I guess the ratio is 2:2. You've now kissed me first as many times as I kissed you first."

They both gave each other a laughing smile. "I guess you're right."

"Why don't we go for gold and do it simultaneously?"

Rick was slowly starting to leave his hang-ups behind, with Delilah being younger than him and so forth. He liked her for _who _she was, not _how old _she was. "Sounds good to me."

They concurrently leaned in and kissed each other, the world was still once again. Neither one of them knew where this could go, but they were excited for what was behind the doors of the future…

_**RICK IS LETTING HIS GUARD DOWN FOR DELILAH AND TAKING A CHANCE! WHEN HE WALKS IN AND KISSES HER, THE LYRIC I MENTIONED IS PLAYING, BUT WITH MICK JAGGER SINGING, NOT THE CHOIR. WILL IT LAST AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH TYLER? WHAT DID WE THINK OF LORI SHOWING UP IN THE DREAM? BE WARNED, THE REST OF THIS STORY IS NOT ALL SUNSHINE AND LOLLIPOPS. THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET VERY DARK AND ROCK THE BOAT, NOT JUST FOR RICK AND DELILAH, BUT FOR EVERYBODY ELSE AT JELLBANY. CHAPTER SEVEN**** COMING SOON!**_

_**BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE STORY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**_

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!**_


	7. Chapter Seven: Temptation Arises

**Hello world and my wonderful readers! I was so excited and inspired that I wrote and posted another chapter this week! I had a lot of fun writing this and was cracking up in some parts. Things definitely heat up for Rick and Delilah (Ricklilah! LMAO!) and will continue in the next chapter. ****AGAIN, ****What would be the point of FanFiction if some of the characters always resembled how they were on the shows? If you don't like my story or have a problem with my writing style, then don't bother reading it.**

**Thank you very much for the reviews so far! I hope to reach 100 or more. If anybody has any ideas for the story or original characters, feel free to message me! I would love to hear them. Thanks to Knute for creating the character of Mac and especially thank you to SilverSun09, one of my FanFiction best friends! You have helped me immensely with the story. You rock and are so talented and awesome. Thank you again for everything. :) **

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE, JELLY BELLY, GOLDEN SLUMBERS OR SLOW RIDE. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), DAVID KLEIN AND THE JELLY BELLY COMPANY, THE BEATLES AND FOGHAT, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.**_

_**WARNING: SEXUAL INNUENDOS AND STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT**_

_**Chapter Seven: Temptation Arises**_

_**They concurrently leaned in and kissed each other, the world was still once again. Neither one of them knew where this could go, but they were excited for what was behind the doors of the future…**_

_**One Month Later**_

The dog days of summer lasted all the way into the fall. Delilah hated September, it felt like every day was Monday for an entire month and it always meant school was starting. She would blast "Wake Me Up When September Ends" by Green Day every morning for thirty days, except this September wasn't so dreadful. It had been a month from the time she found Rick and Carl, and a month from the time she and Rick decided to take things slow.

Ever since that morning, after everybody went to sleep, Rick would sneak into her room. They agreed it was better that way so nobody would catch them, and Judith was a sound sleeper, so they didn't have to worry about her waking up. They maintained a friendship during the day, but were keeping their romantic relationship a secret for the most part, deciding for now it was for the best because they were worried it would cause problems, and nobody had caught on so far, or so they thought…

Delilah was happier than she had been in years. The more they got to know each other, the more she fell for him. Sometimes, they were up until the wee hours of the morning, just talking. She couldn't remember when the last time was she felt this comfortable with the opposite sex, probably with Billy. Everybody else noticed her demeanor was even more exultant than usual, but they couldn't place what it was. Delilah felt like a damn Disney Princess, the only thing missing were the singing woodland creatures and inanimate objects having a personality. Rick wasn't Prince Charming, but he _was_ everything she hoped to have in an adult relationship. Mature, compassionate, well spoken, very natural and wholesome, a respectful gentleman. He was genuinely interested in her on more than a physical level, but things between them were also building up in that department, too. It was mostly making out, he finally got the courage to start moving his hands elsewhere, but she enjoyed it nonetheless, he was an unbelievable kisser and she looked forward to being with him at the end of the day. Rick even expressed that he felt bad that the apocalypse was going on, because he wanted to take her on a real date, which she was incredibly touched by. Most guys usually hid their sweet side and tried to act strong, but Rick was the perfect mix of both. Delilah hummed to herself as she finished cleaning up the nursery, which made her think of the kids. Carl had really adjusted in the past month, becoming almost inseparable with the other teenagers, just like she knew he would. They had developed a very good brother/sister like relationship, even having their own secret handshake, and Delilah completely adored Judith. Being around them made her wonder if she would have any children of her own. _Maybe some day. _She turned off the lights and walked down the stairs, smiling when she saw Glenn and Maggie holding hands.

"Hey, Maggie! Glenn! Wait up!" Delilah smiled and trotted down the stairs as they stopped to talk to her. Glenn was able to fix The Beacon, it would come in handy when her and Rick left tomorrow to look for the others. Mac, Ivan, Brandi, Tyresse, Sasha, and Bob came back without finding anybody, Delilah was hoping that having Rick would bring her some good luck.

"Hey, Delilah, what's going on?" Delilah thought that Glenn was such a sweet guy, she considered him a good friend as well. Both of them had become such close friends to her, she loved and would do anything for them.

"Not much, just wrapping up here for the night. I don't know if I've ever told you guys this, but you're such a beautiful couple."

They both broke out in smiles. "Thanks." Maggie kissed Glenn's cheek, they were so cute together.

"You're welcome. I mean, Maggie, you're absolutely gorgeous and Glenn, you're so adorable. We're all good friends, right?"

Maggie nodded. "Of course."

Delilah smiled, feeling very gutsy. "Great, because there's something huge I wanted to ask you." She started rubbing her hands back and forth. "Since we're such good friends, I wanted to know if you'd help me fulfill one of my fantasies?"

Glenn raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Ok, shoot. What is it?"

"I was wondering if you guys wanted to have a threesome." Delilah watched as Glenn's eyes widened. He obviously thought Delilah was hot, but did he hear her correctly? _A threesome? _

"Really?"

She nodded. "Yes, really. It's always been on my bucket list, I just could never find the right couple, until I met the two of you. So, what do you guys think?" She smiled hopefully, still unable to believe she had gone through and asked. Glenn was about to speak when Maggie shrugged.

"Sure. Why not?"

He looked over at his love, did she really just agree to a threesome? Most girls would knock out their boyfriends for even bringing it up.

"What do you think Glenn?"

He couldn't believe Maggie was so willing, but he nodded. "Uh y-yeah. Sure."

Delilah broadened her smile. "Fantastic! I'm just finishing up here, but I'll meet you guys in your room at 11, 11:30?"

"Ok, it's a date."

"I can't wait! See you in a while!" Delilah singsonged as she sauntered off, leaving Glenn speechless. He turned and looked at Maggie.

"You're really down for this?"

"Sure, why not? It'll be fun." Maggie had always been a little curious about what a threesome would be like, and she trusted Delilah. She watched as Glenn grinned.

"This is awesome! You are the best wife in the world!"

_**11:30 pm**_

Glenn tapped his foot nervously as he sat at the edge of the bed, so nervous that he practically leapt out of his skin when there was a knock on the door. "C-Come in." He squeaked.

Delilah stepped inside, wearing a light pink satin short kimono robe with purple cherry blossoms all over it and hot pink sling back heels. She smiled warmly at him. "Hi, Glenn."

"Hi." He looked at the ground, unable to look directly at her. In the past two years, he had grown out of being the timid pushover, but there was something about this threesome that made him want to recoil to his former self. Maggie emerged from the bathroom, wearing a grey ribbed tank top and white cotton panties, sexy in simplicity.

"Hey, Delilah." The girls smiled at each other as Maggie sat down on the bed and leaned into Glenn. "Don't be so nervous, honey. We've had sex in a drug store and a prison, you're a fox." She grabbed his face and gently kissed him, Glenn started to relax a little. Delilah untied her robe and dropped it to the floor, revealing that she was wearing a sexy black and pink bustier with a matching thong, making her way over to the bed. Maggie released him as Delilah sat down, Glenn in the middle. "So, how should we start this?"

Delilah shrugged, sensing that Glenn's eyes were bulging out of his head from her outfit. "I don't know. I guess you tell us what you want."

"Ok, that sounds fair." She turned back to Glenn. "Glenn, I want you to kiss Delilah."

Was his girl just telling him to kiss her friend? Before he could question her request, she nodded her approval. Glenn turned to Delilah, who looked at him seductively.

"Ok." They leaned in and kissed each other, her hand landing on his knee. The kiss was gentle, but it had gotten him even more excited when she slipped her tongue in a little. He didn't know where to put his hands, until Maggie guided them to Delilah's breasts and leaned into his ear. He froze and opened his eyes, trying to look over at her.

"Grab her boobs, Glenn. I know you want to." She winked at him. First a kiss, now second base? This had to be his lucky night! Glenn reached out and grabbed Delilah's breasts, squeezing and caressing them lightly, feeling her headlights poke through the satin fabric, making her moan in his mouth. Although he loved Maggie's body and wouldn't change a thing about it, Delilah had phenomenal breasts and he had always wondered what they felt like. Maggie turned his head with her other hand and kissed him passionately as Delilah started kissing his neck. Delilah stopped and looked over at them.

"Have either one of you done ear sex?" He looked at her, confused.

"What is that?"

"It's when you lick inside somebody's ear. It's all the rage in California. We each get an ear."

Maggie shrugged. "Ok, let's do it." Before Glenn could further question what was happening, Delilah and Maggie stuck their tongues in either one of his ears and began licking back and forth into his ear canal. It was oddly stimulating, and Glenn couldn't help but start laughing. Both of the girls laid a hand on either one of his thighs, and he could feel himself hardening from their synchronized strokes. He shuddered from their touch, hoping that he wouldn't come right then and there.

"Why don't you two kiss each other?" He pointed at both of them and gulped, waiting for them to reject the proposition, and was further amazed when they started leaning in. Glenn thought he was going to pop, two hot girls were about to make out in front of him, it was his dream come true! Just as Maggie and Delilah's faces were inches away from each other, they both started giggling, which made him confused. The giggles turned into full blown laughs as they looked at Glenn.

"GOT YOU!" The laughter continued, they couldn't control themselves. Glenn could feel his face burning up from embarrassment, the girls were hysterical and he was humiliated, shaking his head in shame. Delilah and Maggie simultaneously kissed him on the cheeks with a loud "MWAH!" sound, not even trying to contain the giggles.

"I told you he'd fall for it!"

"You were right, that was priceless!"

The laughter continued as Delilah picked up her robe and put it on. Glenn was silent. How could they do this to him?!

"I gotta wake up early tomorrow, good night lovelies. Let's do it again sometime." Delilah tied her robe up and walked out, finally controlling the giggles.

"Yeah, totally. Night!" Maggie was still giggling when she looked over at a low-spirited Glenn, his dreams were crushed.

"It was all a joke. I'm such an idiot, and I thought I was going to get lucky with a three-way." He heavily sighed when Maggie stood in front of him with a sneaky smile on her face.

"Who said you _weren't _getting lucky, walker bait?" She threw her top off, watching his face light up as they kissed and fell back on the bed. Maggie was all the woman he'd ever need.

Delilah walked back to her room, still giggling to herself that they pulled it off. The joke had been Maggie's idea that she came up with earlier in the week, it was pretty funny to go along with, but she would apologize to Glenn in the morning and hoped he wasn't going to sleep with blue balls. She opened the door and stepped inside, smiling at the sight of her sexy sheriff laying on the bed reading one of her Jackie Collins books. He looked up at Delilah and smiled as he put the book down. "Hey, gorgeous."

Rick was more contented in the past month than he had been since he found Lori and Carl in Atlanta. He was really glad he took the advice Lori gave him in his dream, Delilah was exactly what he needed to move on. The more time they spent together, the less he thought of how old she was, although sometimes her age _did_ show, like when she would bicker playfully with Carl. She was so great with the kids and he enjoyed her company. Delilah was very easy to talk to and found himself staying in her room as late as seven in the morning, just to be with her. She was having quiet an impact on him, she even convinced him to trim his hair, it looked like how it did when he first arrived on the farm. Rick seemed to walk around everyday with a goofy grin on his face, but nobody could figure out why he was in such high spirits. His attraction for her only grew as the days passed, hoping one day they could go public instead of sneaking around at night, but this was how it needed to be for the time being. Rick didn't know how Carl would react to them being together because he still had a little bit of a crush on Delilah. He hoped it wouldn't be too big of a problem, Carl had expressed interest in one of the twins, which eased the pressure a bit.

Things between Rick and Delilah were not only going well emotionally and mentally, but heating up in other areas as well. It was the first physical relationship he had with another woman since Lori died, and Delilah had been very understanding and patient with him, but he sensed they were both a little anxious to take things beyond necking. She was such a beautiful young woman and he was hot for her, old feelings suddenly becoming new again, he wondered how he could bring the topic up nonchalantly. Delilah smiled at him, feeling her heart flutter a bit.

"Hey, hot stuff." She took off her shoes and put them in the closet, before walking over to bathroom.

"How'd everything go over? I still can't believe you went through with it." Delilah had told Rick about Maggie's idea. After Lori's affair with Shane and the suspicions of Billy and Christine, she didn't want him to feel like he was being deceived all over again, and he thought it was very considerate on her part to clarify such things. That, and Delilah was hell bent on always being honest and not holding anything back, although other people weren't the same. She looked over her shoulder as she squirted some toothpaste on her toothbrush.

"Neither can I, but it was really a scream to see the look on Glenn's face, especially when we simultaneously performed ear sex on him. I just hope he's not going to bed with blue balls." Delilah started brushing her teeth.

"With Maggie around, I doubt he will. Just curious, would you ever have a threesome?" He couldn't help but ask, she was so young and at an age where one experiments sexually, it made him curious.

Delilah smiled to herself in the bathroom, glad that he was unable to see. _Is he jealous or worried? Whatever it is, it's really cute. _She spit out the toothpaste and turned her head. "Hell no."

Rick raised an eyebrow, surprised yet intrigued by her answer. "No? Really?"

Delilah shut off the sink and put her toothbrush down before poking her head out and holding onto the doorframe. "Really. I don't like to share my toys _or _my boys. Besides, I've always said that I'm more than enough woman for a man to handle that he doesn't need to think of having another chick in bed with us." She winked at his amazed face before walking over to the dresser, he started laughing.

"Wow, I guess I'm in for a ride then, aren't I? Good to know you're a one man kind of woman, Delilah." In such a short amount of time, she had managed to always leave him on his toes, he was ultimately fascinated with this stunning creature. Delilah turned around and faced him as she grabbed some pajamas out of the drawer.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, babe." In a month, they had fallen into the pattern of pet names, some were common like "babe" or "honey", but they had a few original ones. Delilah called him "Street Fighting Man" after a Rolling Stones song and he called her "Tiny Dancer" because it was one of their favorite Elton John songs. Delilah became lost in thought about how happy she was with him as she took off her robe, revealing her sexy outfit, not even noticing that Rick's eyes had bulged out of his head.

He couldn't believe the outfit she was wearing, or how much it was turning him on as he could feel his rod stiffening. Every single curve was perfectly outlined and beckoning for him to do what he pleased, to kiss and touch and have his way with her. Rick hadn't realized how quickly he had gone from the bed and standing right behind Delilah. He spun her around and before she could even question what he was doing, he smashed his lips down in an heated kiss, which made her squeal in his mouth. Delilah was surprised, Rick had never acted so aggressively, but she liked it and couldn't help but wonder if maybe she _was _rubbing off on him. He wrapped her legs around his waist and mounted her against the dresser as he stuck his tongue in her mouth, their tongues crossing back and forth.

Delilah laced her fingers through his hair, gently pulling him in closer and sticking her tongue farther down his throat. His hands began exploring her body, running them up her silky legs and hooking his thumbs into her panties. She loved that he was being so dominant, but not for long, she pushed against the dresser and placed her hands on his shoulders, making Rick stumble onto the bed so she was on top. Delilah pressed herself up against him, knowing that her massive breasts were threatening to spill out of her bustier at any moment, her body moving up and down on him. His hands were still hooked into her panties, they moved to her thighs and grabbed onto her gorgeous ass. Rick didn't want to tell her that a few weeks ago he had caught Carl and the boys spying on her and the other girls whenever she lead them in a work out session. After scolding the boys and telling them not to do it again (although he knew they would), he began watching her ever since that day. The way she moved her body in such a sexual, sensuous manner left him spellbound, it was exactly how he wanted her to move on him. Her soaking panties had made contact with the thin material of the pajama pants covering his crotch, causing him to buck his hips into her, delighted that she was just as aroused as he was.

Despite making out with Tyler a few times, Delilah hadn't had sex in almost two years, but she wanted Rick with such a molten hot passion. She thought he was insanely sexy and hot, she wanted him to fuck her to Saturn, then make love to her. The thought of copulation had inspired her to boldly move her hand down his pants and began massaging his rock hard member, making him groan from her touch. He sat up and she brought her hands to his face whilst his hands moved to the back of her bustier, and hurriedly unhooked the hooks starting from the bottom. Delilah became so excited that she accidentally ripped his shirt clear down the middle, which made them start laughing in the thralls of passion, breaking away so he could take it off, and immediately resumed kissing. Rick managed to undo the last hook, watching the bustier fall off her body and marveled at the sight of her magnificent breasts. They were perfectly rounded and firm, medium olive like the rest of her with pearly peach nipples, he was salivating, wanting them in his mouth and wrapped around his dick. He reached out and began groping her boobs, his light movements and pinches making her gasp as she started to kiss and nibble his jaw and stroke him in a swifter manner. Rick leaned his head up so his mouth was on her ear.

"Mmm, Delilah, you're too fucking sexy, I want to devour every part of you." He fiercely brought his lips back to hers and grabbed her thighs before pushing her on her back so he was on top again. Rick's words only heightened Delilah's arousal levels and she was almost blinded by the lustful fervor, all she wanted to do was give herself entirely to this wonderful man. As she could feel her hands landing on his pants and his hands looping back in her panties, her eyes flew open at something he whispered into her ear. She stopped and grabbed his face, looking him in the eye.

"I don't have any condoms on me, Rick. I kept meaning to grab some but I haven't been on a run lately, that and I didn't want to be presumptuous because I didn't know when you'd be ready to go that far. I can't ask one of the other couples, especially now, they'll get suspicious."

Delilah had a bit of a sad look in her eyes, as her hands moved from his face to his shoulders, her nude breasts pressed up against his pecs, both of them were disappointed that tonight wasn't going to be their night. Except they had to be responsible adults, the only contraceptives available were condoms, birth control pills were a distant memory. Neither one of them wanted an unplanned pregnancy, which could result in a repeat of what happened to Lori. Rick sighed, forlorn and feeling himself soften a little. He brushed the hair off of her forehead and looked down on her.

"I know, you're right. I'm glad we both realized it at the same time before we made a mistake. For the record, I am both ready and excited to go further with you in that way, Delilah. Your patience and understanding is much appreciated, but we can't go forward tonight. On our run tomorrow, we'll stop somewhere and grab the jimmies, ok?" He leaned down and kissed her lovingly, he didn't want to screw up their first time. She nodded at him.

"Ok, sounds perfect. We'll go at it like jack rabbits when we get back, but that doesn't mean I can't find another way to take care of Officer Friendly in the mean time." Delilah winked and licked her lips, making him laugh. Rick really did think the world of her.

"Whatever your little heart desires, baby girl."

Delilah got a crazed look in her eye as she pushed him on his back and zealously kissed him. Rick started laughing at how quickly she reverted back to the heated moment, making her way from his mouth and creating a path of butterfly kisses from behind his ear to his pelvis, stopping every now and then to leave little nips, until she was staring down at his crotch. In one quick action, she shoved his pants and boxer briefs down until she was face to face with his cock. It was better than she thought it would be, perfectly shaven and long, she crossed her legs tightly at the thought of his length inside her. Delilah kissed his tip and sucked on it, Rick let out a rumbling groan. She made her way down from his head to the top of his groin, landing midway…

"_**WAAAAAA!"**_

Rick and Delilah both shot up, freaked out over Judith crying. She _never _cried in the middle of the night. They both panicked and raced trying to throw their clothes back on.

"Shit, the baby is awake." Rick yanked his pants up a little too quickly and hissed in pain from his hard on bending. Out of all the times for the moment to be interrupted, now was the least opportune, but Judith was crying pretty loudly and he was concerned.

Delilah threw on a tank top and pajama bottoms. "I'll go, it'll give you time to sneak back in your room." She was out the door before Rick could protest, but he snuck through the adjoining door. Delilah walked into Judith's room to see Carl lifting her out of the crib, trying to calm her down. "Carl? Is everything ok with Judith?"

He looked over at Delilah and couldn't help but notice that her headlights were on and her hair was messed up. His body started getting excited again, like the first time he hugged her, but then it went crashing down. _Maybe she really is with that Tyler creep, I hope not. _"I don't know, Delilah. She just started crying and I came in here as soon as I heard it. I'm surprised my dad wasn't in here ahead of me."

_You don't want to know the reason why he's not… _"It's ok, I'm here and I can help. Let your dad sleep, him and I have to leave early tomorrow to find the others. Can I see her?" Carl handed Delilah the baby as Rick walked in, dressed in a fresh shirt.

"What's wrong?" He pretended to sleepily run a hand through his hair while Delilah rocked Judith.

"I have no idea, I heard her crying from my room and I was concerned, so I came in here." Judith started wailing. "Maybe it's a nightmare, or she's teething." Delilah turned back to the baby. "It's ok, sweetheart, it's ok. Shhh." She brought Judith's head to her shoulder and gently bounced her, patting the baby on the back as she started singing, hoping this would do the trick.

"_**Once there was a way to get back homeward**_

_**Once there was a way to get back home."**_

Judith reduced her wailing to crying, Delilah was holding her outwards, with one hand wrapped around the back of her head and the other arm wrapped around her back. She smiled down at the baby.

"_**Sleep pretty darling, do not cry**_

_**And I will sing a lullaby." **_

Delilah rocked Judith back and forth gently as Rick and Carl looked on, she was now gurgling softly. They were impressed not only with how Delilah calmed Judith down so quickly, but with her singing voice as well.

"_**Golden slumbers fill your eyes**_

_**Smiles awake you when you rise**_

_**Sleep pretty darling, do not cry**_

_**And I will sing a lullaby."**_

She put Judith in her crib as she continued singing, smiling as the baby's face broke out into a laughing smile.

"_**Once there was a way to get back homeward**_

_**Once there was a way to get back home **_

_**Sleep pretty darling, do not cry, **_

_**And I will sing a lullaby."**_

Delilah tapped Judith lightly on the nose, making her giggle and close her eyes. Rick and Carl were in awe over how she was able to get Judith down.

"Nice song, where'd you get it?" The whole scene made Rick's heart melt a little bit, it was so touching and he saw her in a new light.

"Thanks. It's called "Golden Slumbers" by The Beatles."

"Off of _Abbey Road_."

Delilah turned around and grinned at Carl. "Very good, and you're right. I'm impressed, kiddo. You're a quick learner."

Rick could see Carl's face turn a little red. "Well, I told you I'd listen to the CDs you gave me."

"I'm happy you did. Anyways, my mom used to sing it to me when I was younger, and it always put me to sleep. Glad I could help. I'll see you both in the morning."

"Ok. Night, Dad. Night, Delilah."

They both wished Carl good night and watched him walk out of the room before looking at each other. "You ok?" She asked, she had seen the pained look on his face earlier, to which he nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm gonna take a cold shower though." There was no way they'd be able to finish what they started earlier, who knew if Judith was going to wake up again. Delilah tisk'd and shook her head.

"You poor thing. I promise I'll make it up to you."

Rick laughed. "I'll hold you to it. See you in the morning, hun."

"I am always true to my word. See you bright and early, sugar cutie." _Sugar cutie? What the fuck did I just say?_

"Sugar cutie?" Rick raised an eyebrow, trying not to laugh. She rolled her eyes, laughing at herself.

"I don't know, you bring out a side of me I usually keep contained. Sweet dreams, handsome." Delilah blew him a kiss and walked off, leaving Rick with that stupid sappy grin on his face.

_**1:00 pm**_

Rick and Delilah _both _managed to sleep through their alarms and were running behind schedule. How either one of them slept through "Surfing Bird" was a wonder, but they should have been on the road two hours ago. The kids were in school, Rick sent Carl to get Delilah as he stood with Maggie and Glenn, holding Judith.

"Do you have everything?" Glenn asked.

"Yes, just waiting on Delilah."

Maggie snickered. "I heard she had kind of a late night." Her and Glenn exchanged a secret look. The sound of a girlish giggle rang through the air and the three of them turned around to see Carl giving Delilah a piggyback ride.

"Hey!" Delilah had Rick's sheriff hat, which he was shocked that Carl let her wear it, he barely took the thing off himself. He set her down and Rick saw that she was wearing the same black yoga pants like the first day they met with a white cotton tank top and a tan short sleeved shirt tied in a knot under her boobs and a pair of white sneakers along with her signature phoneix necklace, and it made his mind wander…

_Rick turned on his siren and drove after the speeding Corvette. He hated being on traffic patrol, it was so slow, but he finally got a hit. The Corvette slowed down and pulled over to the side. Rick parked the car and got out, walking over as the driver's window of the Corvette rolled down. He walked up to the window to see that the driver was a gorgeous young girl, around twenty, with light brown hair and full lips, with a killer figure to boot. _

"_Afternoon, miss. License and registration, please." The girl leaned over into the glove compartment. _

"_Afternoon, Officer. What seems to be the problem?" She handed him her driver's license and car registration, nervously watching as he surveyed it. _

"_Delilah Daltrey… Do you have any idea as to why I've pulled you over today, Miss Daltrey?"_

"_No, Officer. I don't. I wasn't going too fast, was I?"_

"_I'd say you were. You were going 75 in a 50 zone. I'm gonna have to write you up a speeding ticket." The girl's face fell, she looked crushed. _

"_Oh, please don't write me up, Officer! I can't have a speeding ticket on my perfect record! This is the worst day of my life. My fiance left me for my sister and I've been running around all day like a chicken with my head cut off having to cancel everything, I was on my way now to Trashy Lingerie to try to reverse the custom order corset I had made for our wedding night. I don't know what to do, this is such a disaster!" Delilah burst into tears. Rick wanted to roll his eyes, Shane had warned him about this kind of thing happening and not to be a sucker for it, but this young girl seemed genuinely sad, it was touching in an odd way. _

"_I'm sorry all that's happening to you, miss, but you need to abide by the rules of the road. I can't make any exceptions, I have to write up the ticket." He started writing on his pad. _

_The girl whipped off her sunglasses, revealing teary big blue eyes. "Please don't give me a ticket! I'll do anything, I swear! I can't risk a ticket!" _

_Rick ripped off the ticket and handed it to her along with her license and registration papers. "I'm sorry, Miss Daltrey. You have to pay a $500 fine and appear in court. Next time, you'll remember to drive the appropriate speed limit. Good day." He tipped his hat and walked off, hearing her slam her car door shut and following him. _

"_Officer, please! There has to be something I can do to revoke this ticket!" _

"_I'm sorry, Delilah, but there's not. Oh, and it's Sheriff, not Officer. Sheriff Rick Grimes." He opened the door to his car when he felt her hands on his shoulders, spinning him around. She was grabbing his shirt collar. _

"_I swear, I really will do anything you say. Name it and I'll promise I'll do it!" Delilah looked into his eyes in a panicked frenzy, and Rick was able to get a better look at her outfit of black spandex pants, a white tank top, and white sneakers, she was smoking hot and he could feel his pants getting stiff. _

"_Well, I suppose if you dance on my car, I'll let you off with a warning…" He couldn't believe he was agreeing to this, but his mind was elsewhere, and watched as Delilah's face broke out into a huge smile. _

"_Oh, thank you, Sheriff!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a big smooch, and before he knew what he was doing, his arms were wrapped around her waist and they were making out in the middle of the day on the road. Anybody could drive by, but he didn't care. He was feeling an excited rush of adrenaline. _

"_Woo! Let's do this, cowgirl!" Rick leaned into his car and turned up the radio. "Slow Ride" by Foghat started playing. Delilah backed him up against the trunk of her car and took off his hat. _

"_Prepare for a great ride, Sheriff Rick Grimes." She winked as she put the hat on. He slapped her ass with a huge shit-eating grin on his face. Delilah started grinding up against him as the lyrics of the song kicked in. She swayed her hips, moving up and down with her back to him. Delilah turned around and grabbed his head, licking up the side of his face, before hopping onto the hood of the car. It was even better than Tawny Kitane in the White Snake "Here I Go Again" music video. Delilah rolled her hips, gyrating and grinding, rolling all over, shaking her little butt as she held onto the hat. Rick was having the time of his life watching her. _

"_Oh, yeah. Work it, baby." _

_Delilah threw her head back, giggling._

"_Rick… Rick… Rick…" _

"_**RICK!"**_

"Huh?" He shook his head, seeing Delilah, Carl, Maggie, and Glenn all looking at him suspiciously, and feeling suddenly embarrassed. "Sorry, fell asleep with my eyes open. What's up?"

Delilah was biting her lip, as to not let the laughter escape, noticing the boner he had. "I was saying are you ready to leave?"

He nodded. "Yep, sure am. Just waiting on you, Tiny Dancer." Rick handed Judith to Carl as Delilah said good bye to Maggie and Glenn.

"Sorry about last night, Glenn. All in good fun and humor, right? I really hope you were able to fall asleep."

Glenn snickered at her. "Oh, I slept _very _well, thank you." Maggie buried her head into his shoulder and started laughing. Delilah rolled her eyes before giving them each a hug.

"I bet you did. Here's your hat, Carl." She placed the hat back on Carl's head and slung her backpack onto her shoulders. "Take care of yourself, kiddo. Don't get into too much trouble. Glenn, you have the other Iridium phone and GPS, right?"

"Yes, got it in my room."

"Perfect. We'll be back in a day or two. Come on, Street Fighting Man. Good bye, baby angel." She bent down and kissed Judith on the head, before walking off with Rick.

"Bye-bye, Mommy."

Delilah gasped as they immediately froze. They slowly turned around as Carl, Maggie, and Glenn all looked at Judith.

"Oh, my god." Delilah was as white as a sheet, she looked petrified and turned to Rick. "I swear, I did not teach her that." That's the last thing she wanted anybody to lead assumptions to, that she was trying to take over and act like Carl and Judith were her own children.

"That's ok, I'm sure she picked it up from one of the other kids in the nursery." Carl said, holding his sister tighter, feeling the tears coming on.

"Yeah, that's probably it." Maggie joined in.

"She's right. Babies have minds like sponges. You guys should hit the road." Glenn added, but Delilah's heart was still thumping out of her chest, she was worried about Carl. Rick was shocked, but didn't have much of a reaction. Glenn was right, the other kids were always calling "Mommy, Mommy." and babies absorb a bundle of information.

"Are you ok, Carl?" Delilah could tell he was visibly upset but that he was trying so hard not to show it. He nodded and casually shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's no big deal, I know you didn't teach it to her. I'll see you guys in a few days. Good luck!" The three of them walked inside, leaving Rick and Delilah by themselves. He turned to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, you alright?"

She nodded. "I'm so sorry, I feel awful that that happened. You have to believe me when I say I didn't teach her to call me "Mommy", nor would I." Delilah looked like she was going to cry. Without thinking, Rick pulled her into his arms and hugged her.

"Hey, don't worry about it. It's perfectly ok, I can assure you. If it makes you feel any better, Carl called Shane "Daddy" one time." She looked up at him with a grimace.

"Really? Eww." They both laughed over that.

"Very funny. I'm just saying, it happens. Don't worry that pretty little head of yours." He ruffled her hair, really wanting to kiss her, but wasn't sure if anybody inside was watching. Delilah rolled her eyes and laughed at him.

"Ok, I won't. Let's hit the road, there's people waiting to be found."

They walked over to the Hello Kitty semi-truck, Delilah walked around to the passenger's side. "Here, you drive." She tossed him the keys, which he caught perfectly. They both got inside, Rick started the car and pulled out of the parking lot as Delilah put a CD in and started singing along to "Cowboy Casanova" by Carrie Underwood.

Carl watched them drive off, holding Judith close to him and finally letting the tears fall. The little mishap made him think of Lori, how he would never see her again and how Judith would never get the chance to grow up with her like he did. He had moved on, but was still grieving a bit, and hoped he'd be fully healed one day. It made him think if his dad would move on and date again. _Nah, he's not over Mom. Maybe he'll just get a friend with benefits._ Carl wiped his tears and scoffed, laughing to himself as he walked away, going upstairs to put Judith in the nursery.

After a few minutes of driving and when the song ended, Delilah turned to Rick and boldly asked him what was on her mind. "By the way, what were you day dreaming about? Don't say "nothing", I saw the banana in your pants."

Rick looked over at her, she could be so crude and out there sometimes. "If you must know, it was you giving me a lap dance and dancing on the hood of my police car to "Slow Ride" because you said you'd do anything to get out of a speeding ticket."

Delilah looked at him for a second before doubling over laughing. "That's too funny! You've got quite the imagination there, Rick. Is that a fantasy you want me to fulfill?" She narrowed her eyes at him and he grinned.

"No, but I'll let you know when I do." He winked at her and turned his sights back on the road.

_**THINGS ARE GETTING HOT AND HEAVY! THEY ARE ONLY GOING TO GET HOTTER IN CHAPTER 8! WHAT DID WE THINK OF THIS CHAPTER? THE THREESOME WAS A HOOT TO WRITE. WILL CARL REALLY MOVE PAST THE INCIDENT WITH JUDITH CALLING DELILAH "MOMMY"? C**__**HAPTER EIGHT COMING SOON!**_

_**BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE STORY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**_

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!**_


	8. Chapter Eight: Leap Forward

**Hello world and my wonderful readers! I am on a roll with this story! I've decided to try and post a new chapter either on Sundays before the new episode airs or Mondays after it airs. There's a tiny lemon in here as well as some kick ass zombie action! I was cracking up once again writing some bits of this chapter, I think I'm really doing well having my own spin with the characters. ****AGAIN, ****What would be the point of FanFiction if some of the characters always resembled how they were on the shows? If you don't like my story or have a problem with my writing style, then don't bother reading it.**

**Thank you very much for the reviews so far! I hope to reach 100 or more. If anybody has any ideas for the story or original characters, feel free to message me! I would love to hear them. Thanks to Knute for creating the character of Mac and especially thank you to SilverSun09, one of my FanFiction best friends! You have helped me immensely with not only this chapter, but with the story. You are so talented and awesome, you rock! Thanks again for everything. :)**

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE, JELLY BELLY, BARBIE GIRL, OR RAY OF LIGHT. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), DAVID KLEIN AND THE JELLY BELLY COMPANY, AQUA, AND MADONNA, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.**_

_**WARNING: STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT**_

_**Chapter Eight: Leap Forward **_

_**Delilah looked at him for a second before doubling over laughing. "That's too funny! You've got quite the imagination there, Rick. Is that a fantasy you want me to fulfill?" She narrowed her eyes at him and he grinned. **_

"_**No, but I'll let you know when I do." He winked at her and turned his sights back on the road…**_

_**An Hour Later…**_

The car ride was silent with the exception of the stereo, they were already in Lone Oak. Delilah gazed out the window, leaning against it with her elbow propped up and her head resting in her hand, Judith's words ringing in her head and Carl's face etched into her mind.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

She turned her head and saw that Rick was glancing over at her. "I don't think currency is applicable now, I'll give it to you free of charge. I can't stop thinking about what happened before we left. The look on Carl's face killed me. Haven't you been thinking about it?"

He had been trying to push it out of his mind, but again, it was something inescapable. "A little."

"He looked like one of those kids in a Norman Rockwell painting. It broke my heart, and it made me think of something. Again, not trying to be presumptuous, but if our relationship progresses and the time comes for us to start telling people, how's he going to take it? It will crush him, it's obvious that he isn't entirely over losing his mother."

Rick heavily sighed, knowing she was right. "Well, keep in mind, this isn't the real world, I can't just send him off to therapy. Either way, it's been long enough since Lori's passing that it's acceptable and expected of me to get back into dating again. I know he's in pain, but he's matured a lot as well. Carl will have to adjust to whomever I end up with, and as of now, that's you, Delilah."

She smiled on the inside at his statement, that she was the one he was ending up with, but Delilah still felt a little uneasy. "We can't force it on him, though. My mom always told me and my sister that if we didn't like whatever guy she was dating, she'd dump them because we were the deciding factor, and a couple of times she did. It was an instance where she put our happiness before her own. While it's important that the kids are happy, it's also imperative that you are, too."

"I get the point, but both the kids love you, you know that. Carl will just need to accept our relationship, even if he doesn't like us being together, that's the only thing to it." Even though it was perfectly understandable, it was also unhealthy for them to be holding on for so long. Rick had been able to move on and Carl needed to also, for his own well being. "I think he'll be more upset over the fact that _I'm _with you and he's not, but again, something he'll have to accept." Delilah wanly laughed, but still wasn't entirely convinced. Rick grabbed her hand, making her look at him. "Hey, it's going to be alright. Whatever hurdles we're faced with, we're going to take them on together." Delilah brought Rick back to life when he was at his lowest point, she rescued him from the darkness, he would take on the world for her. He kissed the back of her hand and squeezed it before letting go, turning his attention back to the road.

Delilah smiled over at him. Rick really was a one of a kind guy, incredibly altruistic and doting, but they were similar in the aspect of putting others before themselves. She couldn't help but wonder if he would have pursued her in a non-apocalyptic world, but that didn't matter, because she had him now, and it was the only thing worth counting. "I know we will. Let's just promise that when we are ready, that we'll sit Carl down and tell him before anybody else, alright?"

"That sounds perfect to me." He smiled at her and she finally gave him one of her mega watt grins. Rick loved how she was concerned and looked out for the kids. He knew that Delilah would be a good mother, whether it was with his kids or her kids with another man or their own kids… was he _really _thinking that far ahead?!

"Oh, I love this song!" Delilah turned up the volume and started car seat dancing and singing along to "Barbie Girl" by Aqua.

_What am I thinking? She's still a kid herself._ It was one of the rare times her age seeped through, but he couldn't help but start laughing, which made her look over at him.

"What's so funny?"

He shook his head, calming the laughter down. "Nothing, I just haven't heard this song in years."

"That was one of my nicknames in school, "Brunette Barbie", because I was always so fashionable and bubbly. I was always compared to blondes. "Brunette Barbie", "Brunette Kristin Chenoweth". It was kind of ridiculous, I've never been able to find a Barbie doll that looks even remotely close to me. A lot of people thought that I was putting up a front, but it was how I really was and still am to this day."

Without having to try, Delilah always knew how to make people laugh or smile, even if it was somebody she just met for the first time, like the day she found him and Carl.

"That's how you've always been as long as I've known you, being true to yourself. Did you have a Ken boyfriend?"

Delilah scoffed at his statement. "Pfft, no. I once dated a guy who idolized Ken doll though, said he wanted to name his son Ken Jr. Billy was more like Sporty Ken. Did you know that there was a girl and guy that literally turned themselves into a real life Barbie and Ken?"

Rick made a face at that. "Really? That's creepy."

"It was creepy! The girl was my age and insisted that the only plastic surgery she had were breast implants. Yeah, right, and I wear an A cup bra. Her body looked deformed. The guy spent over a hundred thousand dollars in plastic surgery procedures. They were both horrifying to look at. I heard they met and hated each other. He said she looked like a drag queen and she said he was ugly. I can't help but think of all the rich bitches that are probably freaking out that they can't get their monthly collagen and botox injections because of the zombie apocalypse. I knew a lot of them, too."

They both laughed over that. "I don't think I have."

Delilah raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, come on! Haven't you seen _The Real Housewives of Atlanta_? They're everywhere!"

Rick rolled his eyes. "That crap? I'm sad to say that yes, I have seen it." He remembered catching Lori watching it a couple of times, he got a kick out of the crazed and obviously staged fights the women would get into, but he thought it was ridiculous.

"It's a total sham, but hilarious and entertaining nonetheless. My mom and I used to watch it. Bottom line, there's plenty of women who get filler and now they're probably mistaken for nombies because they look scary."

He chuckled. "That's a little extreme, don't you think?"

"No, they look like crap without it. Anyways, being with a Ken or Barbie is so cliché, it's like the unattainable image of perfection people spend their whole lives chasing and never get. You're cuter than Ken doll, Rick, and I happen to know that you're anatomically correct." He started laughing for a moment, before noticing that her hand was rubbing his crotch. Delilah had a mischievous glint in her eyes, which made all the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"Whatcha doing down there, little lady?" Except he _knew _what she was doing and he wasn't sure if he wanted to stop her.

"Well, since you ended up getting unintentionally blue balled last night, I decided to take it upon myself to get you off now. I know it's not dancing on a cop car, I'll get to that later, but getting road head is every guy's fantasy. If they tell you it's not, they're lying." Delilah started undoing his pants. Rick was a little tense, he had always wanted road head but never got it. He started nervously laughing as she got down on her knees in the space between the seats.

"Wait." She looked up at him. "Are you sure? You're comfortable doing this and the position you're in isn't a problem?"

Delilah really loved how considerate Rick was. Any other guy would have been shoving her head down on his dick, but not him. She smiled sincerely. "Yes, yes, yes. You're so sweet to ask. It's not as if you have to worry about getting pulled over, it's like getting a regular blowjob, you just have to keep your eyes on the road at all times." She pulled his already hard member through the hole of his boxer briefs, seeing a dollop of shiny pre cum leaking from the tip. _Somebody's eager. That's how I like them. _"Prepare for one hell of a ride, Sheriff."

Rick decided to let her take complete control as she stuck his head in her mouth, repeating the actions from last night. This time, she got all the way down to the top of his groin, which made him grunt excitedly. _It's going to be impossible to concentrate, this feels amazing. _He was hoping he'd be able to hold out and not come in her mouth, it had been a very long time since he was sexually active and wouldn't be surprised if he had developed a premature ejaculation problem.

Delilah deep throated him, swirling her tongue all around like his phallus was a Big Stick popsicle. It was killing him not to watch her, he could feel her head moving in all different directions, the thought of watching her was turning him on more. Rick was breaking out in a sweat, his toes curling and his fingers wrapping themselves firmly around the steering wheel from her taking him in all the way, groaning all the while. His eyes kept threatening to close on him to further take pleasure in this, but he kept them open. She started stroking him in sync with her sucking, alternating the speeds. Soft strokes, hard sucking, hard strokes, soft sucking, it was out of this world. Rick noticed that she was moaning with him in her mouth and could feel him halfway down her throat. The road was a little bumpy, which increased the vibrations, and all the excited pressure within him rose to the top.

"AHH, FUCK! DE-LI-LAH!"

Rick's eyes dilated so wide he was afraid they would burst out of his sockets. He quivered and let out elongated groans as his dick started spasming, a mad paintbrush angrily splashing a blank canvas, but the canvas was her mouth and the paint was his cum. It was such a mind altering release of all the built up sexual frustration over the years that he felt almost exhausted once he was finished.

Delilah tucked his member back into his boxer briefs and sat up as Rick kept panting, her cheeks puffed out, looking like Chip n Dale Rescue Rangers. She rolled the window down, spitting his seed out onto the road, before rolling the window up and unwrapping a lollipop, putting it in her mouth as she turned up the stereo, bopping along to Madonna's "Ray of Light". His breathing finally went back to normal, but he definitely felt like he was on Cloud Nine from that fantastic blow job. Delilah swirled and sucked on the lollipop just like she did with his dick not only a minute ago. She looked over at him, removing the sucker and smiled.

"I hope that was everything you wanted it to be and more." Delilah's lips, teeth, and tongue were stained blue. Rick caught a glimpse of her face and started laughing, she looked so ridiculous and adorable, but he was also laughing because he was elated. The word to describe how he felt escaped him, but in this moment, he felt free and clear headed. Delilah tilted her head to side. "What's so funny?"

"You look like you just made out with a Smurf."

Delilah looked in the mirror and snickered. "Oh, my gosh! You're right, I do! My mom never let me have the blue or green suckers because of this, I completely forgot." She laughed as she licked her lips, tasting the sour of the lollipop and the saltiness of his cum.

"I can see why. Thank you, Delilah. That was… I can't even find a word to use, my mind is blown."

Delilah smirked. "Mind blowing, huh? That's quite the compliment. You don't have to thank me, it was my pleasure and I'd gladly do it again." She winked at him before looking out and seeing a sign. "Oh, there's a Target in two more miles! Let's stop there." Delilah smiled before going back to singing along to Madonna. Rick shook his head, smiling, and set his eyes back on the road.

_**TARGET **_

Rick pulled into the parking lot, noticing a few walkers. This was the first time he left Jellbany since arriving, it had been a while. "Shit." He mumbled under his breath and reached for his gun, but saw out of the corner of his eye that Delilah was pulling something out of her backpack. "What is that?"

She pulled out a rainbow swirled baton that had glitter on the inside and sharp metal spiked black balls at each end. "I call it a Mandala Baton. The spikes are sharp enough to poke an eye out, they'll get through a nombie head." Delilah stuck her upper body out the window and started twirling the baton.

_SPLAT! _

The spikes landed straight into the walker's head, with the other side of the baton decapitating it. Rick drove around, doing the same thing with the other few walkers, until they were done and parked the truck. The whole incident reminded him of the asshole baseball players on the high school team that would go driving around knocking mailboxes off their stands to practice swinging.

"Where did you get that?" He asked as they stepped out. Delilah slid on her backpack and looked down at the Mandala Baton, smirking.

"Before I found Javier and Matt, I took refuge in a dance studio, the baton was on display. Madison raided a sex shop as a joke on one of her runs and brought back a bundle of sex toys, including balls and chains. I super glued the balls to the end and sharpened the spikes. Lucky for me, Caroline was a competitive baton twirler, so she trained me. I also remembered how the lead male dancer used to spin his gun in a production of _The Steadfast Tin Soldier _that I danced in."

"Very impressive." Rick zipped his pants up, feeling like Bambi walking for the first time, his legs were a little wobbly from the road head. He didn't want Delilah to see him in a weakened state, so he pulled himself together. "Aren't you worried about getting injured using it?"

"I was a little at first, but once I improved in training, I no longer had a reason to be scared." Delilah was lucky that the scratches she received at the beginning of training had healed, and that it was _before _she used it on walkers. The spiked baton and the boomerang blade were both very unique weapons and she loved having them. She walked past Rick, who was once again staring at her butt. _God, she's got a great ass. _He thought to himself. "I swear, I never thought-" Delilah was cut off when Rick grabbed her hand, pulling her over to him and giving her a kiss. When they separated, she looked at him with a confused smile. "What was that for?"

He shrugged. "No reason, just because." The sweetness in his action made her heart swoon. "Sorry, I cut you off, what were you saying?"

She was so distracted by his answer that she almost forgot what she was saying. "Oh, right. I was saying that I never thought I'd be happy to see a Target again."

"Why's that?" They started walking up to the store. The ground was completely covered in debris. Newspapers everywhere, broken glass, empty bullet shells, blood, food wrappers, it looked like somebody had unloaded a trash truck into the parking lot.

"I never really warmed up to Target. When I was a baby and my mom would take me with her, whenever I'd see that red and white bulls eye, I'd start screaming my head off. Then, when I was four or five years old, I asked my mom where Alice went after leaving Wonderland, and she said Target. Why she didn't just say Fry's Electronics, I'll have no idea, she only said that to get me into the store. Lastly, they rejected me for a job, and that's why I hate Target."

Rick scoffed, finding himself smiling more when he was around Delilah. "Wow, those are some pretty odd reasons to hate Target."

"It doesn't matter, now it feels like Neiman Marcus."

They walked into the store to see the inside looking even more hellish than the outside. Shelves knocked down to the floor with the contents spilled everywhere, empty soda cans, more blood, more broken glass, a few piles of cockroaches and ants on the floor. Delilah and Rick looked around in awe. "Jesus Christ, it looks like ground zero in here." That wasn't even the worst of it, as they noticed a small group of nombies began walking toward them, at least three of them were wearing the Target uniform of a red shirt and black slacks. "Shit." She mumbled under her breath, looking over to see Rick grabbing his gun, and slung her backpack off. "Here, hold onto my backpack. I've got this one. Save the bullets, the baton will be better." Delilah tossed him her backpack and ran off towards the group.

"Wait, don't!" Except he wasn't able to stop her and he felt fearful. Delilah stood in front of the group, twirling the baton back and forth. They walked closer to her and she started spinning around, twirling the baton faster, the spikes landing in the first walker head. The baton was like a pinwheel, rolling over into the next walker head and hacking them off, until they were on the ground. Delilah was like a samurai, so graceful and lithe. The way she performed with the Mandala Baton made Rick immediately think of Michonne and her katana, hoping they'd find her soon. He had a feeling that the two of them would be a lethal duo. Rick began to calm down, until he saw two of the zombies rise up behind her, their heads slightly hanging off their necks. Delilah could tell by the look on his face that she wasn't finished. She turned around and ran off to the nearest check stand. Delilah jumped from the electronic belt to the top of one of the still standing shelves.

"Hey, half headed morons, look at me." The walkers turned to see her jump down from the shelf. "HU-UH!" As she was about to hit the ground, whilst still midair, she kicked her legs out in the splits, knocking their heads off their necks. Delilah landed in a crouch position, ninja style, one knee up and one hand pressed to the ground while her right arm was raised behind her back holding the baton, smiling at the splattering sound of nombie heads hitting the floor. She got up, flipping her hair behind her shoulders, and walked back over to Rick, his mouth slightly agape. "Thanks for holding that for me." Delilah grabbed her backpack and put it on her shoulders, looking over to see him still in amazement. "What?"

He scoffed, surprised. This girl was too good to be true. Most females would have been worn out from performing fellatio, but Delilah had enough stamina to do that _**and**_ fight like Catwoman. "Where the hell did you learn to do all that?"

Delilah smiled. "Sailor Moon. Who else? Come on, we don't have time to waste and we still have to check to see if there's anymore of these freaks here." She waved her hand and started walking.

Rick shook his head in disbelief, but chuckled. "You are something of another, Delilah Daltrey."

She smiled to herself, knowing she had just earned major points. "As are you, Rick Grimes. As are you."

After spending ten minutes searching the place and killing four more walkers, Rick and Delilah got to work on what to take, only what was needed, deciding to make a stock run out of it even though they were only there for one thing. Surprisingly, there was a moderate amount of supplies left, considering the store looked like it had been ransacked clean when they walked inside. Rick grabbed more batteries, lighters, flashlights, tools, canned food, and bottled water while Delilah got clothes for the adults and kids, bedding, towels, toiletries, and diapers. The truck was almost halfway filled, except Rick hadn't seen Delilah sneaking off with toys for the kids and hiding them in the back. She giggled to herself, always trying to bring them back a surprise whenever she went on a run. This damn disaster robbed them of their futures and took away life as they knew it, they more than deserved some joy whenever possible.

Rick returned to the pharmaceutical aisle after unloading medicine and medical supplies into the truck, walking over to the section that had condoms. He stared pensively at the multiple varieties, it had been at least five years since he had to buy condoms, and the wide array was starting to make his head spin. Extra Sensitive, Ultra Sensitive, Natural Feeling, Tropical, ENZ, Ecstasy, Fire & Ice, Ribbed For Her Pleasure. Rick had always been a rider of the Trojan horse, but he found himself clueless as to what Delilah liked. Did she like Trojan, Durex, Lifestyles, Chic? Latex or Lambskin? Condom shopping for Lori was always difficult because she was allergic to latex, as most women are. Maybe he should ask Delilah, and was about to call out to her when the display of lubrications caught his eye. Should he get lube? Did she like lube? All of this was making him feel like some fifteen year old virgin.

Delilah strolled up to the pharmaceutical aisle to grab some feminine products, when she saw Rick perusing the condoms. She couldn't help but break out into a smile over his nervous body language, it was a change of pace from Billy always being prepared, and this was coming from an adult man, not some stupid boy. "Hey, Street Fighting Man!"

Rick jumped a little and turned around, holding a box of Magnum XL in one hand and Sensations in the other hand, feeling suddenly embarrassed that she had caught him. Delilah looked down, stifling an immature laugh. "Did I catch you in the middle of something?"

He shook his head. "Just stocking up, like we discussed earlier, you know…" Who was this bumbling idiot and where had the confident Rick Grimes disappeared to?! The last time he acted like this around a girl he was a teenager, making it age appropriate, not now. "What's up?" Rick noticed that she was holding a Rockstar Mickey Mouse with Guitar toy in one hand and a My First Disney Princess Ariel and Belle doll box set in the other. Delilah was so lost in thought over putting those condoms to good use that she almost didn't hear him.

"Oh, I was wondering if you think Judith would like these." She held up the toys. "They were just too cute to pass up, I had to grab them. Don't worry, I found something really bitchen that Carl will love." Delilah really was a caring person, but Rick couldn't help but wonder if she was getting the gifts for his kids out of guilt for what happened earlier.

"I'm sure they'll like it, but you don't have to get them anything, you'll spoil them. Is this about what happened earlier?"

Delilah shook her head. "No, it's not, I swear. I just saw these and thought of them. And spoiled?" She snorted. "_I _was the spoiled one. Those children are _far _from spoiled, and that's meant as a compliment."

Rick watched her amble off. Delilah had made countless claims that she was a spoiled brat, but she didn't act like it at all. _People change and grow, it's what I'm doing now, and I probably would still be a hermit crab if it weren't for her._

_**WHAT DID WE THINK OF THIS CHAPTER? DELILAH DOES FEEL GUILTY ABOUT THE JUDITH INCIDENT AND RICK SEEMS MORE ASSERTIVE WITH THEIR RELATIONSHIP. WILL CARL REALLY MOVE PAST THE INCIDENT WITH JUDITH CALLING DELILAH "MOMMY"? **__**CHAPTER NINE, MOONLIGH****T**** COPULATIONS****,**** COMING SOON!**_

_**BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE STORY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**_

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!**_


	9. Chapter Nine: Moonlight Copulations

**Hello world and my wonderful readers!I have good news and bad news. The bad news: I had to split this chapter up once again, I'm so sorry I keep pushing things back, but I have to keep splitting it up into separate chapters. It's _very_ steamy, and it took me almost three days to write. In all honesty, I've never had a harder time writing a sex scene than I had this one, I hope it's well received! I've also decided to try and post a new chapter every weekend. **

**AGAIN, ****What would be the point of FanFiction if some of the characters always resembled how they were on the shows? If you don't like my story or have a problem with my writing style, then don't bother reading it.**

**Thank you very much for the reviews so far! I hope to reach 100 or more. If anybody has any ideas for the story or original characters, feel free to message me! I would love to hear them. Thanks to Knute for creating the character of Mac and especially thank you to SilverSun09, one of my FanFiction best friends! You have helped me immensely with not only this chapter, but with the story. You are so talented and awesome, you rock! Thanks again for everything. :)**

**The only parts that are true in this chapter: I was a baby beauty pageant queen in natural pageants (I was Miss Baby Sony 1992!), I do have the beauty walk and wave mastered, I do have that army green trench coat it's awesome from the (RED) collection! By the way, right after I wrote Rick's fantasy sequence in Chapter Seven, there's a Firestone Tires commercial with the song "Slow Ride" in it. Crazy! ****  
**

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE, JELLY BELLY. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), DAVID KLEIN AND THE JELLY BELLY COMPANY, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.**_

_**WARNING: VERY STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT**_

_**Chapter Nine: Moonlight Copulations**_

_**Rick watched her amble off. Delilah had made countless claims that she was a spoiled brat, but she didn't act like it at all. People change and grow, it's what I'm doing now, and I probably would still be a hermit crab if it weren't for her… **_

_**2:30 pm, The Playroom, Jellbany, **_

"Hey, Carl! Tyler got us some more periodicals, come on!" Brock nodded his head to the side. Carl put Judith down in the nursery with the other kids and followed him to one of the viewer rooms at the end of the hall. It was kind of the boy's secret hideout, since the room was abandoned and it had the perfect surveillance of the factory whenever Delilah and the other girls worked out. They thought the room was done for when Rick caught them spying on the girls a few weeks ago, but they had managed to sneak back in, the only worry was that he would tell the older guys and they'd all want to start watching, too.

The brothers thought that Tyler was the coolest guy at Jellbany since he would sneak on runs and come back with dirty magazines and give them pot. Carl bit his tongue, not wanting to cause a riff between the newly established friendships. He thought that Tyler was an asshole, especially after what he did to Delilah, and he was always hoping they weren't an item. In a very disturbing way, Tyler reminded Carl _a lot _of Randall, the sociopath prisoner on the farm.

Jason was waiting for them, various magazines on the floor along with a pile of Twinkies and Bertie Bott's Jelly Bellies. _Playboy, Hustler, Penthouse, Jugs. _It was a smorgasbord of porn and sweets. Carl and Brock sat down Indian style on the floor and each picked up a magazine, rifling through to examine the forbidden goods.

"Where is Tyler?" Carl asked, to which Jason shrugged.

"I don't know, the magazines were here when I walked in, I haven't seen him all day."

"Yeah, he's probably sick from taking on your dare of eating twenty bags of Gushers at once. Whoa! Check out knockers on this chick!" Brock pointed to a blonde spread eagle on a bed with beach ball implants.

Jason scoffed. "Those are way too fake looking, this chick is what it's all about!" He held out the magazine to show a picture of a redhead with medium sized breasts and a big butt.

Carl kept quiet for the most part, just looking. He couldn't wait until he saw a naked girl _in the flesh, _and hoped it would be soon. "Hey, this girl kind of looks like Delilah." He opened up the pages to show them a pretty brunette, to which they nodded.

"Dude, on a scale of 1-10, Delilah is, like, a thousand."

"She makes all the chicks in these magazines look like bulldogs, not to mention being the hottest chick here." Jason added. "You're lucky, Carl, she seems to like you a lot." He sucked the filling out of a Twinkie as he looked at his friend.

Carl shrugged, a little embarrassed. "Delilah likes everybody a lot, it's just how she is."

He had developed a crush on Kaki, their older sister, but Carl still had a little thing for Delilah. It was bugging him that she only saw him as a little brother type, he was a man, damn it!

"Yeah, but she didn't decorate our rooms with action figures and comic books like she did with yours. We don't have a secret handshake with her."

"I notice she spends a lot of time with your dad. Do you think they're doing it?" Brock asked. The thought had never even crossed Carl's mind because it was so ridiculous. Delilah with _his_ _dad_? No way! He was almost _twenty years _older than her.

"Don't be crazy, they're just friends. Allies is more like it. I think he's still not over my mom. Besides, Delilah's saving herself for me. I've only got four more years until I'm legal."

"Get in line, I called dibs on her six months ago."

"Tyler has the one up on all of us. He'd probably ask her to marry him if he could. That guy is _obsessed_."

_**8:00 pm, Back with Rick and Delilah**_

It was a quarter to four by the time Delilah and Rick left Target and were back on the road. They made it all the way to Lumpkin and searched until the sun set. Since nobody knew Michonne's last name, using The Beacon to find her was near impossible, it had to be done the old fashioned way, and it was proving to be an exercise in futility. Once the woods had been cleared of walkers and other groups, they decided to make camp. Delilah set up the Solar Concept tent while Rick started a fire. The sky was tinted in royal and midnight blues, draped with a light layer of stars, the glowing moon orbiting above as the chirping of the crickets and the hooting of a lone owl were barely audible in the embodiment of a near perfect looking night. Rick and Delilah were nestled by the fire on a huge towel, sharing a bottle of cotton candy flavored vodka as well as their secrets.

"I actually don't drink at all, once in a blue moon. The only reason why I got this is because it's cotton candy flavored. If I knew it tasted like gasoline, I wouldn't have picked it up at all. So, tell me a secret." Delilah passed the bottle to Rick.

"It _is_ pretty strong, even with a chaser. I don't really have any secrets, Delilah." He took a swig of the bottle and passed it back.

"Bull. _Everybody _has secrets, no matter how lame or disturbing they are, they've got them. So spill." She took a swig and grimaced, putting the bottle away.

"Ok, fine. Right before Lori and I started dating, I hooked up with Shane's cousin, Rosie. She was two grades below us and nobody would go out with her because she had a weight problem."

Delilah raised an eyebrow. "Ah, so like me."

Rick gave her a serious gaze. "No, not even close. Rosie was five feet three and close to three hundred pounds. Sweet girl, but nobody wanted anything to do with her."

"_Again_, sounds like me." Delilah had never been anywhere close to that weight, but because she was chubby for a few years, she was ignored. No matter how hot she was now, the fact that she had had a rough looking period would haunt her forever. It represented a downfall in her life, little did she know it would be the start of many. Rick just rolled his eyes at her.

"_Again_, it's not. So, I had just gotten my driver's license and my dad gave me a vintage red Corvette as my first car, I would have driven it forever, I loved that car. Nonetheless, Shane paid me $100 from his job at the hardware store to take Rosie out on a date to make her feel better, which I did. Took her to the carnival and won her a giant teddy bear. She ate too many hot dogs and threw up all over me, ruined my favorite Led Zeppelin T-shirt, but I still acted like a gentleman. At the end of the night, I walked her to her door and gave her a kiss on the cheek, but she grabbed me and started making out with me. I tried to pull away, but she had a strong hold. Rosie always had a crush on me and she made her move, without brushing her teeth from throwing up an hour before." He looked over to see Delilah with her head buried in her lap. Rick put his hand on her shoulder, only for her to pop her head up laughing.

"That's the sweetest and most hilarious thing I've ever heard! What happened from there?"

Rick rolled his eyes at her. "When Shane found out, he was _pissed, _telling me I was trying to take advantage of her, even though we both told him that _she _was the one who kissed me first. Kevin Wohler, the guy that wore the mascot costume at the pep rallies, was driving by when it happened and told the entire school. Everybody called me "Porky Pounder" and Shane didn't speak to me for weeks."

Delilah was still laughing. "What happened to Rosie after that?"

"She got gastric bypass surgery and married somebody that had an important position for Hostess."

Delilah was rolling around, laughing even harder. "Oh, my gosh! Contradiction, much?" She giggled but then calmed down.

"I guess."

"Here, will this make up for it?" She placed her hand on his cheek and gave him a ten second smooch. When she pulled away, he was grinning from ear to ear.

"Absolutely."

She smiled and situated herself so she was directly across from him. "Good. Now, tell me something personal."

Delilah pretty much knew everything about him, it took Rick a couple minutes to figure something out. "Well, I didn't always want to be a police officer. When I was younger, I wanted to be a pilot because of _Top Gun_, but when I got older, I wanted to be a lawyer. In school, I always looked out for the little guy, even when I was one, so I figured I'd make it my career."

"I like that, except for you'd probably be the only honest lawyer around, they're huge liars. So what happened?"

"I had finished my GE credits and got my Associate's Degree, but Lori got pregnant with Carl before I could start applying to schools. I just gave up on it and became the next best thing, a cop." Rick never blamed Lori or Carl for not going after his dream, he considered it more of a sign that it wasn't what he was supposed to do with his life. Being a cop allowed him to spend more time with his family and he was there whenever Carl needed him. Delilah could tell that there was a bit of regret in his voice, but decided not to bring it up. She gazed at the fire.

"I'm sorry. I know what it's like to give up something you've had your heart set on, I aspired to be the next Jane Fonda. Acting, singing, dancing, writing. I wanted to have an empire, be a role model, a dynamite woman. It just didn't work out, life got in the way, but it wasn't a total waste. I keep having to remind myself that I didn't sit around and not do anything, that I was a competing athlete and from time to time would teach dance and skating." Delilah was a little traumatized that her dreams weren't fulfilled, but even if things had worked out like she wanted, they would have been ruined by this calamity.

Now, Rick could sense the regret in her voice. She had so many sides to her. The tough badass that kicked the heads clear off of a zombie's neck and impaled them with a spiked baton. The sassy leader who went out of her way to reunite the group and defended him to Tyresse. The sexy babe who was impulsive and seduced him. The outgoing young woman that got along with everybody and wasn't afraid to be herself. The little girl that was trapped inside her and haunted by the past. She was like a mosaic, and it completed who she was as a person, but he noticed she had a tendency to be way too hard on herself. Rick scooted closer and put a hand on her shoulder, which made her look up at him.

"Delilah, you already _are _a dynamite woman. Look at everything you've done. You turned an abandoned candy factory into a home for so many people, giving them a new lease on life. I honestly don't think that anybody there would have a single bad thing to say about you. Those people adore and look up to you, you're their hero. Remember it next time you doubt yourself, that you're not alone and that you aren't worthless or weak." She was very moved by his words, Rick seemed to be one of the only people that genuinely believed in her. Even though she knew that the others did as well and her mother did long ago, Rick wasn't afraid to express it whenever she needed a self esteem boost. He dropped his hand from her shoulder and leaned back on the towel. "Ok, your turn. What's something about you that you don't really like to acknowledge?"

_Where do I start? _"There's a couple of things, one in particular. This so embarrassing, gosh." She shook her head, giggling to herself.

"You don't have to ever hide anything from me, Delilah." He had such an honest look in his eyes, shoving her trust issues to the back of her mind, like she really could tell him _anything_. Except Delilah was scared to reveal her darkest secrets, the ones that she hadn't already told, scared that they'd push him away forever… So she opted for a stupid one instead.

"Alright. It's not that hidden of a secret, just something I don't bring up often. The duration of time between the end of my skating career and the start of my dance career, I was a teen beauty queen."

Rick raised both eyebrows curiously. He remembered Lori competing in a couple local pageants when they were teenagers, nothing huge. She did win Miss Teen Georgia and was featured in the Fourth of July parade in Atlanta, but decided not to go through with Miss Teen USA and gave her spot to the runner up. Rick believed she could have won, but Lori didn't. "Seriously? That's the big secret?" He chuckled.

"You're always laughing at me, Rick! Ok, yes, that's the big secret. I was a baby beauty queen, _nothing _like that Jon Benet Ramsey _Toddlers and Tiaras _bullcrap where the little girls look like painted up dolls, it was all natural. Then, when I quit skating, my mom signed me up and I actually won a few. I even got as far as Miss Teen USA."

He wanted to bring up Lori, but he didn't want Delilah to think that he wasn't acknowledging her, too. "Wow, you are very multifaceted. You went all out, huh?"

She nodded. "Yep. The beauty walk, eveningwear, swimsuit, the talent section. Imagine how it would go over, baton twirling with the Mandala Baton. That'd be one way to knock their heads off."

They both busted up laughing over that last bit, Delilah had a pretty dry sense of humor that Rick couldn't get enough of. A silly idea came to his mind. "Show me."

She looked at him, confused. "Show you what?"

"What you used to do in pageants, especially the walk. I really wanna see that."

Delilah scoffed. "No way! I'm not some puppet, those days are over."

He messed up her hair. "Come on, it'll be fun. I won't tell anybody, your secret is safe with me. Please? I'll even announce you like it were a real beauty pageant."

Sometimes she really got mixed signals from him. One day he'll be completely captivated and try to ravage her, like last night or when he kissed her outside Target, and then like right now, where he was ruffling her hair and talking to her like she was a kid. _Maybe I'm over thinking it, he's just teasing me. _Rick was always so serious and headstrong, she never thought he had a silliness within him, but it was a nice touch. She rolled her eyes and groaned. "Fine, but only to show you how great I was." Delilah stuck her tongue out at him and got up, walking to the other side of the fire. She couldn't believe she was doing this, but all in good fun. "Any time now, Rick. I already feel like an ass."

He smirked. Maybe the crummy vodka was getting to him, but he got a kick out of teasing her. She was so cute when her feathers were ruffled and he was curious to see what she was working with. Even after seeing her dance, he wanted more. "Ok, fine. Introducing, Contestant Number 4, Miss Teen California, Delilah Daltrey!" Rick watched Delilah throw her shoulders back, her head up, and started strutting on the grass like it was a runway. Her elegant confidence radiated through her walk and smile, almost as if she really were in a beauty pageant. Rick was so enthralled with her that he stopped talking. Delilah could feel his eyes on her and was loving every second of it, so she decided to kick it up a notch, all her old moves coming back to her. Step step turn, look back, hands on the hips, royal beauty wave, wink and smile, she even untied her tan shirt and threw it to him, which made him wolf whistle at her.

"Wow, you were right, that _was_ really great. You're a pro"

"Thanks." She walked back over and reached out for her shirt, putting it on. There was a brief silence, they both had the same thought running through their minds. _I WANT YOU. _They were waiting for the other one to make a move. Rick was regretting not doing it earlier when she kissed him. Delilah also thought he was going to make a move when they kissed, but he didn't.

"So, what was your talent?" A light bulb went off in her mind, she had just come up with the perfect idea.

"My talent was a magic act. I'll show you a trick I know, but you have to stand up and close your eyes." He looked at her skeptically. "I promise, it's nothing crazy like getting sawed in half, just take my hand." Delilah reached out her hand and pulled him up. "Ok, stay here. Whatever you do, don't turn around and don't open your eyes, got it?"

"Yes, Delilah." Rick didn't know what she was going to do, but he had a feeling he'd end up enjoying whatever it was. He closed his eyes, the sounds of the night becoming louder.

"Good. I'll be right back." He heard her wander off into the words. Half of him was eager to what she was going to do while the other half was on edge if this was a trap. _It's been a month and you're still a little paranoid? She's one of the good ones, like you._ After what seemed like five minutes, the sounds of her footsteps remerged. Rick felt her lips close to his ear. "Turn around slowly and open your eyes." She walked away as he turned around. When Rick opened his eyes, he felt his heart literally stop.

Delilah stood a few steps away from him, wearing nothing but a long canvas army green trench coat, which covered her breasts and her right leg crossed in front of the other, Jessica Rabbit style. Never had she looked more beautiful than she did right now. The brightness of the fire and the soft glow of the moon only accentuated her loveliness. Delilah walked up to him, the coat still not revealing anything, Rick opened his mouth to speak, but she put a finger to his lips.

"Don't speak. Just listen." He nodded, waiting for what she was going to say next. She was taking a chance and being fearless. "I know that we agreed to take things slow. I thought it would be difficult, but for you, it became incredibly easy, almost like a second nature. I don't know if I would do that for anybody else. It's been a long time for both of us, even though the feelings are familiar, they're for different people. We're on the same page about taking things to the next level, except I don't want to wait until we return to Jellbany. There's just something about letting go and giving myself entirely to you in this moment that feels so right, like it's a kismet. We've both had a tremendous effect on each other, and you told me you're ready. I've already bared my soul, now I'm completely exposed. Take me, Rick. I'm yours."

Delilah's eyes were dazzling, something that seemed to happen whenever she was making a poignant speech, when she confessed her attraction and right now. Rick's heart was thumping madly, her words drawing him in, feeling himself stiffen at the sight of her almost naked body. The two of them meeting _was_ a kismet, neither one of them knowing what would come of it, but enjoying where they were at now, only wanting each other. _She's mine. She __**is **__mine. _Rick responded by leaning in and kissing her tenderly. Delilah knew by his kiss that he agreed and she was excited that they were going to physically unite as one. He pulled back and looked at her.

"I have to go get-"

"Don't worry, I have it taken care of." She smiled as she flicked her wrist, snapped her fingers, and jerked her hand back, a sleeve of Trojan Ribbed for Her Pleasure condoms unraveled in a zigzag pattern. "Ta-Da." He chuckled. "I said I had a magic trick, didn't I?"

Rick nodded. "You did, but how-"

"I saw you grab two of all the condoms and stuff them into the truck." Delilah handed them to Rick and smiled, leading him by the hand into the tent. Even though they went into this so willingly, they were both a bit nervous since it had been such a long time since either one of them had sex. There wouldn't be a better opportunity than now, and it was going to be seized.

Rick crawled into the tent after Delilah as she laid down on the sprawled out sleeping bag. He was so distracted by her that he bumped his head on one of the photovoltaic cell banks that roofed the tent. Delilah laughingly gasped and leaned up to him. "Are you ok?" She rubbed the back of his head.

"Y-Yeah, I'm alright." He nervously smiled and Delilah could feel the jumpiness. She looked into his eyes affectionately and her hand moved from the back of his head to his neck.

"It's ok. Everything is and will be fine, I promise." Delilah pressed her lips to his and gently brought him down so he was laying on top of her. Her kisses began to qualm his nerves as he reciprocated, knowing that this was how things were supposed to be. Rick now knew he was wrong when he thought he'd never find anybody to be with since Lori's passing, Delilah was his saving grace, and it was time to dive in full throttle. He kissed her back, the tenderness between them at the same level, but picked up the speed a little as both hands landed on her face, bringing her in closer, while Delilah slowly unbuttoned his shirt. She pushed it off his body, running her hands down his nicely toned abs and landed on his belt, undoing the buckle and taking it off, and gazed up into his eyes while her small hands rested on the button of his jeans. "Are you sure?"

Rick felt a little bad that she had to ask, but it only proved how considerate of a person she really was. _No more second guessing, continue to be unbound of your past. _

"Yes."

He leaned in and recaptured her lips, assuring her that he was ready for this to progress. Delilah un-buttoned his jeans and pulled the zipper to the bottom of the seam, sliding the pants down his legs. Rick kicked his shoes and pants off, leaving him in his boxer briefs. He opened Delilah's jacket, revealing her fully nude figure, and snaked his arm around her back, bringing her up to him in a passionate kiss, the jacket falling off her arms. Rick boldly slipped his tongue in and wrapped it around hers as he laid them down. Delilah moaned into his mouth, extremely turned on, and sucked on his bottom lip. He wasn't as aggressive as last night, but she liked that he was taking charge.

Rick kissed and nipped at her neck, reveling in her peach blossom taste and scent, as his fingertips grazed delicately up and down her body. Delilah let out small whimpers of delight, even the lightest touch from him made her wet. He kissed down lower, traveling from her neck and clavicle until he got to her breasts. Every one of his reservations and anxieties were thrown outside, dying with the fire, all from the striking naked girl in his arms. Rick felt intrepid and wanted to explore Delilah's body, making it last as long as possible in order to savor every single second. He started caressing her breasts, bringing his head down on her chest and sticking her right nipple into his mouth. His tongue spun around until it stiffened completely, while his hand landed on her dripping and perfectly shaved womanhood, stroking her lips. She sighed and bit her lip as he gave the other breast the same treatment, closing her eyes to take it all in, her sensitive nipples heightened the pleasure she was receiving.

The feel of her honeyed skin sent sparks throughout his fingers and trekked into his whole body. Rick made his way down even lower, laying kisses across her stomach and pelvis. No matter how much he wanted to screw her brains out, he was going to take his time and make sure she was satisfied from the foreplay. Rick slid her knees up and dove down, wanting to even the playing field by giving her cunnilingus for the exquisite fellatio he got earlier in the day. He latched his lips onto her front bottom ones and probed his tongue inside her flower, lightly sucking.

Delilah moaned and giggled nervously, she had never been too keen on the receiving end of oral sex, but getting it from Rick was exciting. His tongue alternated from her throbbing clit, to looping around her walls and inside again, as if it were going through a maze in the pink. Her feet crept onto his back, the balls of them rubbing across while her toes curled into his flesh as she kept moaning, not even forming intelligible words anymore. His strokes and licks were so defined, an even combination of naughty and nice.

Rick could tell from her squirming that she was close, it was time for the grand finale. Delilah couldn't wait any longer, she wanted him in the most intimate way a man and woman could ever come to. "Rick, please." She gazed down at him, her eyes pleading ardently, her arousal levels almost to their highest point.

He licked his lips, tasting her peach blossom flavor, and ripped off a condom from the sleeve, tearing the package with his teeth. Rick rolled the tip of the rubber and slid it down, covering his shaft, and positioned until being perfectly aligned with her opening.

The orange and blue glow in the dark lights of the tent illuminated around their naked bodies and a lustful miasma enveloped their minds, no longer able to hold back, and wanting nothing more at this moment than each other. Rick put one hand behind Delilah's head and rested his forearm on the mat, leaning in and kissing her as he gradually glided forward.

Her walls clenched around his head before he could get his whole erection inside, the rigidity making his eyes cross and a grunt escape from his mouth. The last time he had made love to this kind of tightness was when he and Lori lost their virginity to each other, but he knew that Delilah wasn't a virgin. Not only had she told him otherwise, but Rick didn't feel her hymen break. Delilah's eyes widened and she gasped, gripping onto his shoulders, a slightly pained expression on her face. His thick phallus fit snugly inside her to the point that it was almost burning. Her gasp made Rick worry and he looked down at her. The last thing he would ever want to do was hurt Delilah, not after everything she had done for him. "Are you alright? Do you want me to stop?" Rick moved the hair off her forehead, cupping her cheek. The sincere expression his eyes held touched Delilah, and she couldn't believe that he was with her. This feeling was new to her, genuine warmth and fond kindness. Billy wasn't a total jerk, but he had never been _this_ selfless, not like Rick at least. It was something she could get used to and never wanted to let go of.

Delilah shook her head. "No. Just take it slow, like you were doing." She was eager to feel the rest of him inside her.

"Ok." He leaned in and kissed Delilah to loosen her up as he slowly finished pushing. Once his full length was all the way inside her, they were both able to relax, adjusting to the other's tautness. Rick began moving up and down, building his speed little by little. She was so wet and warm, it tantalized his cock to maximum hardness, groaning as he felt the space tighten. The fact that it had been so long was irrelevant, he was back in the swing of things. There was nowhere Rick would rather be in the world than in Delilah, his strong ally by day and his sexy goddess by night, all for him and nobody else.

Delilah loved the way he felt, like he belonged there, cherishing how he took his time to make sure that she was fulfilled and comfortable before taking care of his own needs. She felt so small in his embrace, overpowered by a crashing tidal wave of wanton and adoration, but she knew that it was the only thing in this destroyed universe that made sense, providing the urge of going through with her thoughts about giving herself to him, mind, body, and soul. Delilah sighed deeply, the way he soared in and out made her quiver. This was the first encounter she had with an _experienced _lover, so caring and affectionate, not sloppy and dense like she had had previously, but she knew she had to have more. "Rick, please, go faster… I can handle it, I want this so badly, I want _all of you _so badly…"

Rick looked down on Delilah, the look on her face was one of pure desire, enticing him to go further and give her whatever she craved. He knew she was wholly aroused from the elongated foreplay, now for the main attraction. Rick draped her right leg around his waist and gripped her firm little ass while his other arm wrapped around her back, thrusting himself deeper into Delilah. She threw her head back as he continued to ride her in such a rapid yet gentle manner. Delilah was driving him mad with her moans, her sizzling physique and the way her body shook underneath him. He moved his hips up and down, performing swift thrusts. She kept going back and forth between moaning and sighing, all from his finely tuned penetration, feeling electric jolts blast from her pleasure core and made their way right through her body.

"_**AHH, RIII-CCCKKK!" **_

Delilah gasped and mildly shrieked, wishing she could scream his name loud enough to vibrate into the mountains as he repeatedly hit her G-spot. She shot up and threw her arms around his neck, slamming her lips on his in the fiercest kiss they've ever shared that completely knocked his socks off. Delilah pulled him down to her level, squealing into his mouth as they ferociously made out, pressed together chest to chest. Rick felt her vaginal canal compress his almost ten inches and let out an deep groan as he struck his climax out of the park.

**_"OH, MY GOD! DELILAH!"_**

Delilah rocked her lower body against his hips, nearing the end of her climax and accompanying him through his. She kissed his neck as he propelled into her as fast as he could without being rough, feeling his rod jerk and shoot out scorching hot cum into the condom. The orgasm made his body shudder uncontrollably, all the built up sexual pressure officially gone for good. Delilah held onto his face as they breathed heavily, both drenched in cold sweat, soaring downward from their torrid session. Rick pushed into her one last time, feeling the condom fill up to the brim. He pulled out, taking off the condom and tied it in a knot, sliding his boxer briefs on and grabbing a pack of Kleenex, making his way out of the tent. Lucky for them, they were on an actual campsite, with a trashcan by the car. Rick tossed the condom in the trash and discreetly cleaned himself up, discarding of the mess.

If a blowjob made him feel like Bambi earlier, full-blown intercourse left him paralyzed now. Pins and needles were shooting all over his legs and arms, he almost stumbled on his way back to the tent, but it was damn worth it. He felt alive and invincible, like he could do anything and take on any obstacle. Free of his fears and euphoric, he'd deal with the agenda tomorrow, he needed to hold onto this evening for as long as he could.

Rick got back inside the tent, seeing Delilah getting her breathing back, her chest moving up and down. He smiled and crawled on top of her, seeing her eyes were closed, and bent down for an amorous kiss.

Instinctively, when Delilah felt his lips on hers, she put her arm around his neck, her fingers tangling in his sweat matted hair. The two of them exuded the scent of wilderness sex, feeling contended and tranquil. Rick looked down into her beautiful eyes and put his hands on her face, so she could return the gaze. "Thank you."

Delilah looked up at him, puzzled. "For what?"

"For everything. For being you. For bringing me to the better place I belonged in." Even if things didn't work out, Rick would be forever grateful for the time they shared. Delilah had taught him how to feel again and mean it, guiding him from his frozen morale to a invigorated state of mind. He gave her a five second peck and rolled onto the left side of her.

Delilah looked over at Rick and a small smile spread across her face. She may not be able to help herself at times, but she gave it her all in helping him. Rick was a good man who had been trapped by his suffering, he had simply gotten lost in the search of finding the key to the chains of encumbrance that he wore and unlocking it to revitalize. Delilah was his key, and it gave her hope that maybe he was hers as well… "Wow, that was astounding. You're every good thing that's ever been described on _Sex and the City_." He glanced over at her and chuckled, kissing her cheek.

This was the first time a member of the male species made her feel like a woman and not some piece of tits and ass.

For years, Delilah had always compared males to canines. The young ones, boys, were puppies: cute, playful, frisky, clueless, and not caring about anything but messing around and having fun. The older ones, men, were dogs: educated, sophisticated, charming, they've been around the block, properly trained and knew their stuff. After being with Rick, comparing and contrasting it from her encounters with Billy, her theory was further validated. The pups fuck and the dogs make love, she never wanted to go back again.

_**WOW WOWIE! THAT WAS SEXY! THAT CONDOM TRICK WAS THE BASIS FOR THIS SEX SCENE ;). **__**WHAT DID WE THINK OF THIS CHAPTER? **_I GENUINELY BELIEVE THAT RICK COULD LET GO AND BE THAT PHYSICALLY INTIMATE. THAT THEORY ABOUT MALES AND CANINES IS SOMETHING I ACTUALLY CAME UP WITH. DOES CARL REALLY THINK DELILAH WOULD CHOOSE HIM OVER HIS DAD? MOST LIKELY IN CHAPTER ELEVEN OR TWELVE, HE WILL BE FINDING OUT ABOUT RICK AND DELILAH, AND THINGS WILL NOT BE PRETTY. _**CHAPTER TEN, FIREFLIES AND HAUNTING DREAMS****,**** COMING SOON!**_

_**BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE STORY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**_

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!**_


	10. Chapter Ten:Fireflies and HauntingDreams

**Hello world and my wonderful readers! I accidentally deleted Chapter Nine from the story (Don't worry, it's been re-posted), so I just decided to go ahead and post the next chapter as well, since the two go hand-in-hand. Except it's important that BOTH chapters are reviewed! :) I personally think this chapter is both very sweet and upsetting. Before anybody flips out, Delilah's dream is JUST THAT, A FANTASY DREAM! Plus, I always felt that Rick had a romantic side and it seemed like The Grimes lived comfortably, so I figured these were both good ideas. Also, the bit with the fingertips is something that happens to me a lot, and I thought it was so cute that I added it to the story. **

**AGAIN, ****What would be the point of FanFiction if some of the characters always resembled how they were on the shows? If you don't like my story or have a problem with my writing style, then don't bother reading it.**

**Thank you very much for the reviews so far! I hope to reach 100 or more. If anybody has any ideas for the story or original characters, feel free to message me! I would love to hear them. Thanks to Knute for creating the character of Mac and especially thank you to SilverSun09, one of my FanFiction best friends! You have helped me immensely with not only this chapter, but with the story. You are so talented and awesome, you rock! Thanks again for everything. :)**

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE, JELLY BELLY, FIREFLIES, OR ONLY YOU. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), DAVID KLEIN AND THE JELLY BELLY COMPANY, OWL CITY, AND THE PLATTERS, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.**_

_**Chapter Ten: Fireflies and Haunting Dreams**_

_**After being with Rick, comparing and contrasting it from her encounters with Billy, her theory was further validated. The pups fuck and the dogs make love, she never wanted to go back again…**_

_**10:30 pm, Glenn and Maggie's Room, Jellbany**_

"Babe?" Glenn had finished rifling through the drawers for the past ten minutes and was now searching under the bed.

"Yeah?" Maggie popped her head out from the bathroom, washing her face, to see Glenn on the floor.

"I can't find the GPS that Delilah gave me. It was on the dresser and when we got back it was gone. She's also not answering the Iridium phone. You don't think they're in some kind of trouble, do you?" He gulped, starting to feel a little worried about his friends.

Maggie turned the light off and walked out of the bathroom with a bottle of lotion in her hand. "No, if anything bad happened, we'd hear from one of them, but it is unlike her to not answer the phone. Maybe you took the GPS to Leisure Zone?"

"I remember leaving it here, but it wouldn't hurt to go look. I'll be back." He walked out the door and bumped into Tyler in the hallway. Something about that kid gave him the creeps. "Hey, Tyler. Haven't seen you at all today, what's going on?

He started laughing his head off like an idiot. "Man, I spent all day on the crapper! Maybe I should have been at that prison, because it feels like I got sodomized!" His laugh got louder as he started slapping Glenn on the shoulder, making him stiffen. "I never should have bet Jason that I could eat twenty bags of Gushers in one sitting!"

"Guess not." Glenn mumbled under his breath. "I gotta go, I may have left something at Leisure Zone." He brushed past Tyler and walked off.

Tyler turned around. "Hey, do you know whose GPS tracker this is?" Glenn looked over his shoulder, fully turning around as he saw him holding up the GPS. _How did he get it?_

"Yeah, it's mine, actually. Where did you find it?"

"I just found it laying around in the cafeteria. Think fast!" He threw it to Glenn, who just barely caught it. Tyler started laughing at him. "Better improve on your catching skills, Korea. I'm gonna have a smoke, then go see my girl. Catch ya later." He walked past Glenn to the stairs, who gave him a confused look.

"You mean Delilah?"

"Yeah, who else would I be talking about? That sweet ass belongs to me, ain't nothing or nobody is gonna change that." Tyler smirked to himself, loving how his little Lila Loo was playing hard to get, trying to impress Daddy Sheriff the Widower and maybe Sheriff Junior. It was all an act, she was just trying to make him jealous. Little did she know that she'd be paying for it sooner than later…

"Delilah's not here, she went with Rick to look for the other members in our group. Don't talk about her like that. I'm judging from when she yelled at you last month after he and Carl got here that she doesn't feel the same way about you. It would probably be in your best interest to keep your distance from her." Glenn folded his arms across his chest, glaring at him. In the almost two months since he and Maggie reunited at Jellbany, they had formed a special friendship with Delilah. Despite the two of them pulling the joke about the threesome on him, which was now laughed off, Glenn genuinely cared about her in the same way he cared for Beth, like a little sister. He felt protective over Delilah and wanted Tyler to back off.

He watched the jerk's lips curl up in a sinister smirk, wondering who the hell this pipsqueak thought he was telling him off. "Yeah? Well, maybe you should get Lasik surgery so you can drive better, Korea!" He walked off, cackling.

Glenn huffed, exasperated, and walked back into the room. Maggie was on the bed, putting lotion on her arms. "Found it." He mumbled, setting down the GPS and throwing himself on the bed.

Maggie looked over at him. "Everything ok? I heard you talking in the hallway."

Glenn took the bottle from her, squirted some lotion in his hand, and began to rub it on her legs. "Yeah, it's fine. Tyler said he found it in the cafeteria, almost dropped the damn thing. He started talking smack about Delilah and I told him to cut it out. There's something off with him. I can't believe she would even give that guy the time of day, let alone kiss him." He peeled his shirt off.

Maggie placed her hand on his shoulder. "Lie on your stomach, I'll give you a massage." Glenn smiled and did as told, relaxing when she began to knead the lotion into his skin. "That was a long time ago, she regrets it. I think Delilah might have a little crush on Rick, she always gets goo-goo eyed over him." One of the things that she loved about Delilah was her up beat and optimistic demeanor, but Maggie noticed that she'd change whenever Rick was around, that she'd get tongue tied and had difficulty making eye contact, but it was sporadic. Glenn rolled his eyes up at her and started laughing.

"Rick and Delilah? Delilah and Rick? No way! He'd never go for somebody that much younger than him. She's only two years younger than you are, Maggie, that's roughly old enough to be her dad."

"You never know, Glenn. I don't think he plans on being a widower forever. It's been a year, he needs to allow himself to move on." Maggie really didn't think the two of them dating would be the worst thing. It might be a little strange at first, as well as being difficult on Carl, especially after Judith called her "Mommy", but she had a feeling that everybody would adjust to it. If they ultimately did get together and fell in love, why shouldn't they be happy? Glenn, on the other hand, was a little more unconvinced.

"You're right, I suppose. It could happen, but I'd have to see it to believe it."

_**11:00 pm, Rick and Delilah, Lumpkin**_

The semi-photovoltaic fabric of the tent provided a clear picture of the night, even through the cell bank roof. Glowing lightning bugs danced around in the sky, trying to compete with the glistening stars on who could shine the brightest. Rick held Delilah in his arms, their unclothed bodies wrapped in a blanket as they gazed up at the evening heavens. Delilah rested her head on his bare chest and smiled. Everything was so perfect, it made her think of the song "Fireflies" by Owl City. The only thing that interrupted the mood was Glenn calling on the Iridium phone, which Delilah thought was an opportune time to tease Rick by giving another blow job while he was talking to him, breaking his concentration, and he reprimanded her with another sexy romp. They were both luxuriating in the blissful post-coital nirvana.

"This is the first time I've ever seen fireflies."

Rick looked down at her. "Really?"

Delilah nodded. "Yes. I heard they have them in California, but not where I lived." She watched the luminescent minis, captivated by them. Rick loved how she found enjoyment in the littlest things, like fireflies or her favorite song playing. Apart from the mass collection of purses, shoes, and jewelry, he thought Delilah was very down to earth.

"This is probably the last time you'll see them for another year, they're only around in the summer in Georgia."

Delilah reached over and glanced at his watch before looking up to watch them again, not noticing that Rick was watching her. "You're right, the Fall Solstice starts in an hour. They're so beautiful."

"You're so beautiful."

She looked up and saw him smiling, feeling her cheeks start to flush. For somebody that had high confidence levels like she did, he always found a way to make her go a little red in the face without even trying.

"You're pretty fine-looking, too, Sheriff." Rick leaned in and kissed her. To him, Delilah was like a bag of Oreos. Once he had a taste, he couldn't get enough and it was all he wanted. She was purely irresistible.

"Hey, Rick?"

"Hey, Delilah?"

She smirked. He had undergone almost a complete metamorphosis since arriving at Jellbany, appearing to be one of the most sweet-tempered men she had ever met. Delilah was ecstatic that she was able to play a part in bringing him around to a happier state of mind. "You know how you said you felt bad you couldn't take me on a real date because of the apocalypse?"

"Yes, I do." He looked down at Delilah, watching as her fingers skated back and forth across his chest, and wondered where she was going with this.

"Well, I know it may seem out there and irrelevant, but I was curious what you had in mind or if you were just saying it to appease me? If it's the latter, I won't get mad. I'm used to it, as a matter of fact." Rick noticed her expression changed to one of sadness. She thought back on all the broken promises of the past. Even though she had found somebody extraordinary, what went before would plague her forever. He knew that guys had tried to take advantage of her from what she told him. Nothing more than immature and horny assholes, they'd pull the same shenanigans on any girl, but he thought he was doing a pretty good job making sure that Carl never acted in such a manner. Rick actually _had _thought about what kind of a first date they would have. He sighed, hoping she wouldn't think he was too corny or behind the times.

"No, I didn't say it to appease you. In fact, I came up with two different ideas: One for if you lived in Atlanta and one for if I lived in Los Angeles."

"Oh?" She looked up at him, intrigued. "Do tell."

"Alright. If you lived in Atlanta, I'd start by taking you to the Georgia Aquarium. There's a hundred foot long tunnel made entirely of acrylic windows, it's almost five thousand square feet of viewing windows. You can see all these different kinds of fish along with the whale sharks and manta rays that they have. It's really unbelievable. I figured while we were there, I'd give you a family reunion with the bottlenose dolphins." They busted up laughing, Delilah more than him, and she rolled her eyes.

"Don't make fun, it's a hidden talent!"

"I know, I'm messing with you. Anyways, after that, we'd go to Sundial Restaurant. It's on top of the Westin hotel and has a 360 degree view of the Atlanta skyline. It's a pretty spectacular sight to see at night time, and the food is great. If I lived in California, I'd take you to this restaurant, Moon Shadows, it's in Malibu and overlooks the beach so you can watch the sun setting. Afterwards, I'd take you to the Griffith Observatory. Astronomers chart meteor showers weeks in advance, so we'd go on one of those nights, it's supposed to be exceptional. You wouldn't have to worry about me acting like a jackass, I think you know by now that I'm the complete opposite. I'd bring flowers, hold doors open, pull chairs out, not try to put my hands all over you and get grab-assey, or make it all about myself. You deserve to be shown a good time and treated with respect, Delilah."

Rick had always been a romantic. That part of his persona had disappeared for the past couple of years, but being with Delilah was helping it resurface. If only he could really take her on those dates…

Delilah's eyes had filled with tears, she was so touched by everything Rick said, from describing the dates and enlightening her that he wouldn't be like all the others. Her heart was fluttering, because it was in that split second that Delilah knew she had fallen in love with him.

This feeling was familiar, she remembered the moment she fell in love with Billy, but that was nothing compared to now, this left her feeling both rapturous _and_ scared stiff. Delilah didn't want Rick to know that she was crying, she was afraid he'd look into her eyes and she'd blurt out that she loved him and that he'd reject her. The timing was so wrong. Even though the mild tipsiness from the cotton candy vodka had worn off, they were just in a sexually charged situation a few hours before and his words made her a bit emotional, she wasn't thinking rationally. He'd probably freak out and that's the last thing she wanted, she forced herself to suck it up and looked up at him with an enchanted smile.

"Wow… you've had a lot of time to think about this, huh?"

Rick raised an eyebrow at her. "What, you don't like it?"

"No, I love it. It's perfect, every single detail. Wonderful blend of casual and classy." She rolled over on her stomach as she spoke and began rifling into her backpack. The blanket slid down, baring her heart shaped birthmark that drove him crazy, making him smile at the glimpse of it. Delilah pulled on a pair of lavender Paul Frank boxer shorts and a black tank top before nestling back into Rick, lacing her fingers through with his. "I wouldn't change a thing about it." She gave him a peck and he smiled, looking at her and their intertwined hands.

"Good, I'm glad. Hey," He held her hand up, examining it in the moonlight. "I never noticed before how small and delicate your hands are."

"Thanks. Surprisingly enough, my hands are one of my most complimented attributes." She looked at her little hand in his big one before doing something so undeniably adorable: Rick wrapped his fingertips over her own and squeezed her hand. It came from out of nowhere, but it was incredibly genuine and simple that it melted her heart. They looked at each other and smiled as he held her hand, continuing to enjoy the peaceful hours of darkness.

_**Two Hours Later, Delilah's Dream**_

_Delilah was in a kitchen making breakfast, wearing a fitted sleeveless pink and blue spaghetti strap gingham dress with a full skirt, along with soft pink heels to match and a powder blue headband in her long ponytail swept up hair. Two kids were sitting at the table. Carl was taller, probably around fifteen or sixteen, and Judith looked exactly the same but bigger, but she was around four or five and wore her hair in high pigtails. The kitchen looked like something out a 1950's television show, as did their wardrobe. "Only You" by The Platters started playing. Judith looked over and her face lit up. "Hi, Daddy!" _

_Delilah turned around to see Rick walking down the stairs as the first lyric of the song played. "Hi, kids!" He was dressed up in black work slacks and a white button up shirt with a blue tie. Delilah smiled, walking up and giving him a big kiss. "Good morning, dear." _

"_Good morning, honey." Delilah walked back over to the counter as Rick sat down, petting Bear, their family Blood Hound. "I made your favorite, buttermilk pancakes!" _

"_Yay!" The three of them started clapping, making Delilah smile. _

"_You make the best pancakes, Mom." Carl said. _

_Delilah waved him away as they dug in. "Anything for you, my darlings."_

_Carl and Judith walked out of the house as Delilah waved good bye from the front porch. The outside of the two story house was white and grey with a blue picket fence, green grass, and brightly colored flowers all over. Rick walked out with his overcoat on and briefcase in hand, bending down to kiss Delilah goodbye. He puts his fedora on and leaves, only for Delilah to run after him. Rick turns to her and she tilts his hat to the side, making him smile. She gives him a kiss on the cheek and walks off as he steps into their white 1956 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz with the kids. _

_Carl is up to bat at a baseball game. He hits the ball, sending it flying over the fence, and runs around the bases. Rick and Delilah are wildly cheering for him while Judith sits in her lap. _

_Delilah walking Carl out of the house whilst covering his eyes, with Judith right next to her. "Mom, what is it? The suspense is getting to me!" Carl whined. _

"_Carl, your father will be back any moment! It's a surprise, right, Judith?" _

"_Right, Mommy!" _

_Rick pulled up in a brand new black 1957 Ford Thunderbird and stepped out of the car. _

_Delilah pulled back her hands. "Surprise! Happy Birthday Carl!" _

_Carl opened his eyes and his mouth went agape at seeing his birthday present. "OH, MY GOD! THAT'S FOR ME?!" _

_She nodded. "Yes, it is!" _

_He ran to the car, Rick tossed him the keys, which Carl perfectly caught. "Happy Birthday, buddy." He patted his son on the back and walked over to Delilah and Judith, wrapping an arm around his wife as they watched Carl be in amazement over his surprise. _

_Rick and Delilah are in their living room, laughing with Glenn and Maggie. Delilah was making wild hand gestures as she told a story. Rick and Glenn lean across the girls and clink their Heinekens. "Happy wives, happy lives." _

_Glenn smiles. "I'll drink to that." _

_Rick sips his beer and turns to Delilah, falling even more in love with her. _

_It's Christmas morning in the family room, the tree is adorned in silver tinsel and ornaments in blue, green, gold, and red, sitting in the family room. Delilah, Carl, and Judith are all sitting around the tree in their pajamas and bathrobes as Rick walks in carrying a huge box. "I found this on the front porch and it has your name on it, Judith." He sets the box down next to her and sits on the lounger, Delilah on the floor in front of him. _

_They watch Judith take the lid off and a fluffy light yellow golden retriever with a pink ribbon tied around her neck pops out from the box. "A puppy?!" She gasps and pulls the puppy out of the box, giggling as her face gets covered in puppy licks. Rick grabbed Delilah's hand as they watched Judith and the dog._

"_Merry Christmas, honey." _

"_We love you both so much." Delilah smiled, thinking that this life couldn't get any better, until Carl nudged her. _

"_Here, this is one is from all of us." _

_He handed her a small box wrapped in shimmering red paper with a white bow on top. "I wonder what it could be." _

"_Open it, Mommy!" _

"_I am, don't worry, sweetheart." Delilah unwrapped the present to see that it was a red leather gold embossed Cartier box and opened it. Inside was a stunning platinum diamond marquise bracelet, which made her smile and her eyes tear up. _

"_Like it?" Rick leaned in, whispering into her ear. Delilah looked up at him, smiling at each other with love. _

"_I love it." She put the bracelet on and held her arm up to look. _

_Delilah and Rick walking through the park in the fall. Everything is in colors of red, yellow, and orange, leaves and acorns are everywhere. Carl has Judith on his shoulders and is running back and forth with her, spinning her around and pretending to be an airplane while she laughs her head off. Rick and Delilah are walking hand in hand, she holds onto his arm and rests her head on his shoulder, watching the kids. _

_Rick and Delilah are at a awards ceremony banquet. He's very dapper in a tuxedo and she's wearing a lavender strapless evening gown and elbow length pink satin gloves, her hair down with a white magnolia tucked behind her ear, soft makeup, and the Cartier platinum diamond marquise bracelet. _

"_And the winner for Lawyer of the Year for Atlanta, Georgia is… Rick Grimes!" _

_The entire room erupts in applause, Delilah gasped in happy surprise and gave Rick a peck as he walked up to the stage to get his award. She watches him make his acceptance speech and he looks right at her. _

"_I couldn't have done it without my beautiful wife, Delilah." Rick smiles at her and everybody turns around to watch her as her faces breaks out in a big smile._

_Delilah is wearing a long white slip, it's late and Rick isn't home from work yet. She walks into Carl's blue and black decorated room to find him asleep with a comic book on his face, with Bear sleeping at the foot of the bed. Delilah smiles, placing the comic book on the dresser and turning Carl's light out. She walked out of Carl's room and into Judith's room. It is decorated in pink and white, she's sleeping soundly in her bed with her puppy, Lulu, neither one of them stirring as Delilah tucks her in and kisses her good night. _

_After checking on both of the kids, she walks downstairs and starts putting things away in the living room, not noticing that Rick has arrived home. He puts a record on the record player and wait's a minute and a half before turning up the volume to the last part of the song, their favorite part. Delilah turns around, puzzled. "Rick?"_

_He holds out his hand, smiling. "Dance with me?" She smiles and takes his hand, he slowly spins her. They start slow dancing around the living room, not noticing that Judith has crawled to the middle of the stairs and watches them through the balusters. She props up her elbows on the step, her head in her hands, and sighs dreamily as she watches them, finding it all so romantic. _

"_You're my dream come true, my one and only you."_

_The last line of the song plays as Rick dips Delilah, brings her up, and spins her again before they tenderly kiss while the song finishes. _

Delilah opened her eyes, silently giggling to herself. The dream was odd, but it made her feel warm inside. It was a combination of everything in her subconscious. Judith calling her "Mommy", the close relationship with Carl, being with Rick, that it reflected in her dreams about what life would have been like if she had met Rick first and Carl and Judith were their children. Alas, that wasn't how things were meant to be, but maybe they could be just as good, they could all still be happy together. Delilah looked up to see Rick soundly sleeping and spooning her with his arm wrapped around her stomach. She smiled, cuddling into him and drifting back off to sleep.

_**BILLY'S FAMILY RANCH, CORPUS CHRISTIE, TEXAS, OVER A YEAR AGO**_

_It was a murky looking day on Steverson Ranch in Corpus Christie, Texas. The sky was grey and the wind was howling, nobody would believe that it was the spring. After their mom left for Europe, Delilah and her older sister Christine accompanied her fiancé Billy from Simi Valley, California, to his family ranch, figuring it would be a safe place to survive in the apocalypse. Except when they got there, the place was deserted and his family had been turned into nombies, "nightmare zombies" as Delilah referred to them as. Billy didn't seem too petrified that he had to shoot Mamie and Papie Steverson in their skulls or decapitate Little Archie, his favorite cousin. They weren't who they used to be, they had turned into fatal monsters. Delilah seemed to be the only one that it had traumatized, being forced to kill somebody, even a small child. It had been a week since arriving at the ranch, and Billy and Christine knew they couldn't stay there any longer. Apart from all the animals having been eaten by them or the zombies, the house, already in a time warp from the 70's, was falling apart. Leaky roof, cracked windows, the staircase balcony and its railings were both loose, and Delilah had found rodent pellets. She, on the other hand, thought that Billy could fix the house up since he had nothing but time on his hands, except that wasn't the case. They needed to be somewhere safer, but it wouldn't be the trio…_

_Christine walked out into the hallway with Billy. The two of them had been having an affair of sorts behind Delilah's back. Christine always liked Billy first and couldn't stand it that Delilah took him from her, leaving her with no choice but to take what was rightfully hers. _

"_Billy, we can't stay in this house another day longer. We have to leave." He looked at her with a sad stare in his eyes, scratching the back of his head. _

"_I don't know, Christine. We can't just leave Delilah by herself. She's too defenseless and reliant on us, she'd never stay alive on her own." Although he loved Christine, he did care about Delilah, more or less. At one point, he had loved her as much as she loved him, but not anymore. People fall out of love with each other all the time, but Billy felt he and Christine should do the right thing, break the news properly by sitting Delilah down and confessing. It would crush her, but at least it wasn't conniving. _

_Christine rolled her eyes. For twenty years, it was Delilah this, Delilah that, stop what you're doing and watch DE-LI-LAH! Delilah could go fuck herself for all she cared. All Christine wanted was to put that little spoiled bitch in her place, and she was doing that by leaving with Billy. "I don't care! That stupid brat ruined my life, I almost lost you for good because of her. This is survival of the fittest. Do or die. You can either ride with the bulls or graze with the cows, but I'm not letting either one of you slow me down. Do you have everything ready? I finished packing up the semi-truck and still have the keys, you have the keys to the X5." She tossed the semi-truck keys in the air and snatched them up as they came down. _

"_Yes, it's ready. Delilah is your family, don't you love her?" His question echoed in her head, causing her frustrated glare to soften. Of course she loved her, Delilah was her baby sister. At one point, they were as close as two sisters could be. She simply couldn't stand her. It was Delilah's fault that she was forced into the shadows and rebelled, because she wasn't as good as The Golden Child, and it was because of Delilah's mother that Christine no longer had her dad. He may have been an asshole, but he loved her apart from her grandma, who showed no interest in Delilah. That and Delilah's few chubby years were the only times Christine was superior. Then she had to go and grow six inches and take Billy from her, who did that little hussy think she was?! Christine folded her arms across her chest, the aggravation creeping up on her. _

"_I do love her, but I love __**me**__ more." _

_At that moment, Delilah strolled out of the room she shared with Billy and into the hallway. Even with no makeup on, she still looked like she belonged in a Covergirl ad, she was that beautiful. Delilah was wearing a pair of Frankie B. jeans, an red tank top, and a black terrycloth Juicy Couture hoodie with a pair of blue UGG slippers. "Good morning, everybody!" She said in an almost Valley Girl voice and sauntered up to Billy. "Hi, baby. Sleep well?" Delilah gave him a deep kiss. He had his eyes open, looking over at Christine, who simply looked disgusted. _

"_Y-Yeah, I slept fine, babe." Billy gulped, he was feeling very nervous and scared for Delilah. Just because he chose Christine didn't mean that they had to kill her… _

"_Hey, Bill. You gotta fix the staircase balcony and railings before they break. I can't wait until this place is fixed up!" Delilah rocked the balcony a little. _

"_Don't touch it!" Christine hissed. _

_Delilah looked at her, confused. "Sorry, chill out, Christine." _

"_Lila, I told you, it's too much to fix and we can't stay here." Billy was trying to be as even tempered as he could, he didn't want to let anything slip out. In a way, he felt like The Huntsman sent to kill Snow White, but would he be letting __**his **__Snow White free? After what they were going to do, he might as well have had taken her heart._

_She scoffed. "Where are we going to go, The Four Seasons Dallas? There's slim pickings, we staying. It's the best choice, don't you remember what they said on the news?" _

_Delilah turned back to Billy, shrugging off his worries. He and Christine were such downers, she had no choice but to be the optimistic one of the trio. Besides, they needed to stick together in order to get through this. "Baby, we need to set up a gym somewhere in this house, Christine needs to be hitting P90X because she's getting a little chubby-chubs!" Delilah giggled and poked her stomach, making her jump. _

"_Shut up! I'm bloated, duh!" She couldn't wait to get the hell rid of Delilah, relieving herself of a two decade pain in the ass. _

_**What is going on with Christine?** Delilah thought to herself. **She's more bitchy than usual. Maybe she's getting her period.** Her thoughts were interrupted by a chill in the room. "It's freezing, why is the window open?" Delilah walked over to close the window. _

"_No, don't!" Billy tried to grab her, but it was too late. She looked down to see a fire escape ladder hanging from the windowsill. "Why is this here?" Delilah turned around, confused, and saw them trying not to look at her but failing miserably. "What's going on? Why do you both have such guilty looks on your faces?" _

_Before either one of them could answer, a loud banging sound bounced throughout the house. The three of them looked to see the door being pushed before it came crashing down, a swarm of flesh eaters barged through into the house. They were making this creepy gurgling sound, some crawled up the stairs. Delilah screamed, truly aghast at the amount of deadly undead freaks, and ran to get her weapon. Billy shot the zombies coming up the stairs. "Christine, Delilah! Come on, we gotta get out of here! The place is going to collapse!" He jumped out the window and slid down the ladder. Please, let her make it out. _

_Christine was right behind him when Delilah ran out of the room with her gun, nervously shooting more zombies until running out of bullets. She turned around to see her sister closing the window whilst standing on the ladder. "What the hell are you doing?!" Delilah ran over to the window, trying to stop her from closing it, but Christine grabbed her hands, glaring menacingly at her baby sister's terrified eyes. _

"_I'm sorry, little sister, you're not going anywhere." _

_Delilah's eyes dilated and her mouth went agape. Was she about to be left in this death trap? The mighty winds blew through the window as low thunder rumbled in the sky, rain began to fall. _

"_What are you talking about? We have to leave, now! Let me go!"_

"No, no, no…" Delilah mumbled, stirring in her sleep.

"_For twenty one years, I had to play second fiddle to The Delilah Show. Little Bitch Princess, not caring who she stepped on to get what she wanted!" She spoke in a mocking tone, her lips curling up into a devilish grin. The more Delilah tried to move her hands, the more Christine's grip tightened on her wrists, knowing bruises would be left. _

_Delilah felt a cool metal ring in Christine's hands, thinking it was part of the ladder, and laced her fingers through it. "Christine, it's not like that, I swear! I would never step on anybody, not even you! You're my big sister, I want you to be happy and for us to be like it used to be! I love you! Please! Let me go, NOW!" Delilah felt her heart beating out of her chest and fear envelope her body as she started crying, knowing she was going to die. _

"Let me go, let me go now!" Delilah's voice started getting a little louder as she tossed and turned

Rick woke up from her movements against him and looked down. _Is she having a nightmare? _"Delilah?"

"_No, Delilah. I've had to be in your shadow for years, no longer will that continue. Billy loves me and we're running off together. You're nothing but an albatross around our necks, dragging and pulling us down! We're better off without you, __**the world **__is better off without you" Their hair wildly blew from the wind while the sounds of the walking dead and the thunder above became even louder. _

"_That's not true! You can't leave me here! Please, don't do this! I don't care, take him! We can work it out if you just let me go!" She looked up at Christine with pleading eyes, trying to bargain for her life. _

"Let me go, don't leave me!" Delilah was shouting, wildly tossing and turning. Rick grabbed her by the shoulders, trying to shake her awake.

"Delilah, wake up."

_Christine's grin widened, she looked like The Joker from Batman. "Such a stupid girl you are, Delilah. You want me to let you go? Fine!" She raised their hands up and let go of Delilah's, watching her lose her balance and not noticing Delilah had grabbed the keys from her._

"Don't, don't leave me! Come back!" Delilah was still shouting and kicking, Rick couldn't get her to awaken.

"Delilah, honey, wake up. You have to wake up!"

_Delilah saw the leer on Christine's face as she watched her stumbling backwards. Christine was elated, her wish of eliminating the burden that ruined her life was coming true. "Sweet dreams, baby sister." She said in a Minnie Mouse esque tone before climbing down the ladder. Delilah had stumbled all the way against the balcony, the creepy sounds of the zombies rang through her ears. A huge crash of lightning burst through the sky and shook the ground. The balcony and the railings she was up against broke with a loud snapping sound. Delilah went plummeting from the second story, screaming for her life, as she went down, down, down…_

"Delilah! Delilah!"

"No! No! No! Ahhhhh!" Delilah let out a scream that turned into a gasp as she shot straight up, barely even feeling Rick holding onto her shoulders.

"Delilah, shhh, Delilah." He had to shush her to prevent walkers hearing, but whatever it was that scared her had him incredibly worried. She was heavily panting, her face and back of her neck were drenched in cold sweat, her heart racing out of her chest. "Sweetheart, it's over. You're ok, I promise."

Delilah turned and looked at Rick, her eyes were teary and her body was trembling. "Rick…" The sight of his concerned eyes bringing her back from the nightmare sent her over the edge, relieved that she was free but still felt haunted. She began to cry, shaking uncontrollably, it was a dream that would never go away, no matter how hard she tried. Rick wrapped his arms around her, bringing her body into his lap and her head in the nook of his shoulder, and let Delilah cry it out.

"You're safe, baby. I'm here, I've got you." Rick stroked her hair, kissing her on the head as Delilah shook and sobbed in his embrace.

The tent that only hours before had been overflowing with moans of passion was now filled with cries of fright. Delilah knew that she'd never be able to escape from the clutches of her demons, and only hoped that it wouldn't push Rick away forever.

_**AWWW! POOR DELILAH! HOW COULD THEY DO THAT TO HER?! **__**WHAT DID WE THINK OF THIS CHAPTER? IT SEEMS LIKE OTHER PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO CATCH ON ABOUT RICKLILAH. GOOD FOR GLENN FOR STANDING UP FOR DELILAH, BUT WHAT DOES TYLER HAVE IN STORE? LOOK OUT FOR THE WHOLE FINGERTIP OVER FINGERTIP BIT TO RE-APPEAR LATER ON IN THE STORY! CHAPTER ELEVEN WILL BE COMING SOON!**_  


_**BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE STORY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**_

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!**_


	11. Chapter Eleven: Let It Go

**Hello world and my wonderful readers! How is everybody doing? It's raining cats and dogs here in So Cal! I had to take a break after posting the last two chapters because of bad writer's cramp in my wrist, but after resting up and using a splint, I'm feeling better! This chapter turned out longer than I thought it would be, so I split it into two chapters. Sorry if it seems like that's happening a lot, but it means that Chapter Twelve is halfway done! As promised, MICHONNE HAS FINALLY ARRIVED! I decided to name this chapter "Let it Go" because even though both _Frozen_** **and the song came AFTER the apocalypse, I play this song every day to remind me to be strong and let my worries go. It ties in with the whole Phoenix theme, as does the title of my next chapter "Beauty in the Breakdown" from the song "Let Go" by Frou Frou, as many of you will recognize from either the end of _Garden State_ or the pub scene from _The Holiday._  
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**AGAIN, ****What would be the point of FanFiction if some of the characters always resembled how they were on the shows? If you don't like my story or have a problem with my writing style, then don't bother reading it.**

**Another thing I wanted to add was that to all fans and followers of _Nights in White Satin__, _I am currently writing the wedding chapter!**

**Thank you very much for the reviews so far! I hope to reach 100 or more. If anybody has any ideas for the story or original characters, feel free to message me! I would love to hear them. Thanks to both SilverSun09, and Hey01ig, two of my FanFiction best friends! They helped me with this chapter and story, and are both so talented and awesome, you rock! Thanks again for everything. :) Be sure to check out their work, people!**

**The only parts that are true in this chapter: The whole Clay Aiken bit, I REALLY DID throw my socks on stage! Hahaha! His version of "On The Wings of Love" is probably one of the best though! I also ask people all the time if they believe in life after love and I think it fit well in this chapter. ****  
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_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE, JELLY BELLY, LET IT GO, INVISIBLE, DO YOU BELIEVE IN LIFE AFTER LOVE, OR YOU SET ME FREE. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), DAVID KLEIN AND THE JELLY BELLY COMPANY, IDINA MENZEL, KRISTEN ANDERSON-LOPEZ AND ROBERT LOPEZ, CLAY AIKEN, CHER, AND MICHELLE BRANCH, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.**_

_**Chapter Eleven: Let It Go**_

_**The tent that only hours before had been overflowing with moans of passion was now filled with cries of fright. Delilah knew that she'd never be able to escape from the clutches of her demons, and only hoped that it wouldn't push Rick away forever…**_

_**6:30 am**_

After an hour and a half of crying, Delilah was finally able to fall back asleep, but Rick couldn't. He got a few light catnaps here and there, but he watched over her for the most part, wondering what it was that terrified her so badly. The sky was grey with hints of the pink and orange sunrise attempting to poke through the fog, the summer really was over. Rick had woken up early to rid of any walkers and finding only a few, but hoped that Delilah was asleep by the time he got back so she didn't have to wake up alone.

Delilah woke up to find that Rick was gone, and a small part began to think that he left her for good because of waking up from the nightmare in such a manner, even though the thought was absurd. It was her fault for not explaining that she had erratic nightmares from time to time, but it had been a long period since the last one and she thought they were done with. Delilah was only fooling herself, because they weren't going anywhere, at least not anytime soon. She leaned over and pulled out a wrist splint and an ACE bandage from her backpack, having an odd pain in her wrist. _I should have practiced with the baton before we left. Old habits die hard. _As she was about to grab some clothes, Rick walked in and their eyes met. "Hey." Delilah groggily answered, and felt very self conscious because she was sure that she looked like hell from all the crying.

"Hey." Rick got inside the tent and sat on the opposite side of the sleeping bag, just like how they were on her bed that first night. He could tell that she was uncomfortable about something, she couldn't even look at him.

"So, uh, did you get back to sleep?" When she was a kid, Delilah used to have a very bad eye contact problem, and people thought she was Autistic. As she got older, it drastically improved, but every once in a while, the problem would rear it's ugly head, like right now.

"Eh, more or less. I was watching you for the most part. Delilah, what happened in the nightmare that scared you so badly?" He reached over and placed his hand on top of hers, but she still couldn't look at him. _Maybe her problems are deeper than she lets on… _"You know you can tell me anything and that I won't use it against you, but you had me worried and still do now. Please, tell me what happened."

Delilah looked over into those striking blue eyes that always held sincerity. Even if things didn't work out between them romantically, she was sure she always had a friend in him and that he'd always care about her, as she for him. Delilah already trusted Rick with her other secrets, what's one more? She heavily sighed and sat up, beginning to wrap her wrist.

"It was about that day in Texas, when Billy and Christine abandoned me. Every time I have the nightmare, I never make it out alive, as if I were meant to die. It's been a pretty long time since I dreamt about it. This nightmare comes and goes, but I honestly doubt it will ever permanently go away. I definitely think I have a mild form of PTSD, to the point that I was so traumatized that I remember specific details differently than how they happened and that I may have blocked certain things out, but I'm pretty sure everything that _did _go down actually came about how I remember it."

Rick was concerned that she was second guessing how it happened, but that was one of the effects of post traumatic stress disorder. It made him think of what Michonne had told him about her past and always thought she suffered from the same disorder. Already, they had something in common: they were both broken from long-ago. He watched her struggle with the bandage.

"Either way, they abandoned me and that's all I know at the end of the day. That the man I was supposed to marry and my sister wanted to be together so badly that they couldn't stand having me around. If they would have just had some integrity and admitted to me how they felt about each other, I naturally would have been mad, but I'm sure I would have gotten over it at some point because I would want them to be happy, even if that meant not ending up with Billy. Instead, they practically tried to kill me. Family is supposed to stick together no matter what issues you have with each other. I know that I wasn't the easiest person to deal with. I had a lot of emotional problems stemmed from a combination of my dad's abuse and being bullied that I would have outbursts, or "tantrums" as Christine would refer to them as. I grew out of them eventually, but she would throw it back to piss me off. I know I was a spoiled brat from being fawned over all the time, but I wasn't entirely selfish. I don't think I told you that I actually _refused_ to leave for Texas until she agreed to come with us. Not because I was dependent, but because I didn't want her to be alone. She picked a boy over me, saw an opportunity and took it, but there could have been other ways to go about. I always tried to include her in whatever I did, and she stabbed me in the back. For all Christine knows, I'm dead and she's happy. I am not the same person that left that house in Texas seventeen months ago."

Delilah found herself wondering how the two of them were getting by without the cherished semi-truck, _if_ they were still alive, but she knew they most likely were. They made her feel so betrayed and worthless, like she was some pathetic simp, but she had gotten by pretty well on her own. _If only they were around to see it all…_

What happened to Delilah was absolutely awful, and although she had managed to rise above, she was still being held down by it. Neither one of them knew when it would go away, but Rick wanted to help her, just like she had helped him. He took the bandage from her.

"Here, let me do it. It felt like I was always putting one of these on every week after a baseball game." Rick gently wrapped it around her wrist. "Delilah, you were betrayed and are still haunted. I think we have all been traumatized by something from this apocalypse, not overruling yours, but I'm saying everybody can relate. You helped me come around from the miserable state of mind I was in, and I want to help you do the same. I promise that you will never be alone like that again, there's way too many people around that won't let it happen. Do you notice how every time you tell me that you _used _to be something like spoiled or immature, I always tell you that I don't believe you? It's because I don't see it. Whatever you _were then, _that's not who you _are now. _You're noble and valiant and strong, you're a leader."

"You make me sound like a knight of the round table." She couldn't help but ponder if that's all he saw, a soldier, but the thought was repressed when they shared a laughing smile.

"You're also incredibly beautiful and very sexy with a larger than life personality. Better?" Delilah rolled her eyes and he continued. "What I'm trying to say is that the people that know you now don't know nor will ever know who you used to be. Even if you ever cross paths with the two of them again, which seems pretty unlikely, you have an entire army behind you." He finished wrapping her wrist and put the pins in the bandage before grabbing the splint.

Delilah knew he was right. There were people that cared and they weren't going anywhere. If she kept letting it get to her, then she'd always be stuck. She had overcome so much and deserved to be happy, it was time to fight harder and let it go. The sound of Velcro snapping brought her back from her thoughts. "Thank you, and you're right. It's time to beat _it, _not let it _beat me_. I'm glad to have somebody like you on my side." She smiled brightly at him, which he returned.

"Exactly, that's the best attitude, and I'll always be on your side." Rick was glad she was coming around and going to fight harder against her traumas. He knew she could do it, she was a Phoenix. "Sorry you had to wake up alone, I was clearing the place of walkers. There weren't that many, surprisingly."

He didn't even have to mention it, but the fact that he did just made her feelings grow. _This is ridiculous, it hasn't even been two months! If you still feel the same in ten days, say something then. _"That's alright, you're here now" She looked down from him and went wide eyed. "But what's that on your shirt?!" Delilah pointed to Rick's shirt and tried to conceal the sneaky look on her face when she leaned in and kissed him as he was about to lift his head up. Her morning passions awoke and she sent Rick on his back against the sleeping bag, their chests pressed together. They separated from the kiss and she was grinning at him. "Thought I was going to bop you on the nose, huh?"

Rick smirked and nodded. "Yes and no. It's been a while since somebody pulled that trick on me, I think the last time was Carl when he was eight."

Delilah scoffed. "Hey, I bet you'd rather have it this way than how it was supposed to be."

_Back to her usual self, she's already trying. _"Of course, this way is better."

"Good." She kissed him again, but there was still a flirtatious little smile on her face. "By the way…" Delilah leaned into his ear. "I tend to get extra frisky in the morning." Delilah kissed him enthusiastically as she heard him chuckling into the kiss.

_I think I can definitely get used to this… _Rick thought to himself as he lifted Delilah's shirt over her head…

_**Almost Two Hours Later**_

After two morning sex romps and packing everything up, Rick and Delilah were on the road to Fort Gaines. She loved watching him with that goofy grin on his face. _Maybe that's all he needed, was to get fucked back to life…_ Delilah giggled to herself, causing him to look over at her.

"What are you laughing at over there?" He smiled at Delilah, glad to be with her and haven't met anybody like her before. The invincible feeling from last night had been carried over into the morning, the only thing that could bring him down was if they didn't find Michonne or Beth and Daryl, but he was hoping they would.

"Nothing, I have a serious question, and if you start singing the song, I'll jump out of the car."

"Ok, fine. Shoot."

Delilah took a deep breath and looked over at him, her. "Do you believe in life after love? _Please _don't sing the song, I'm begging you! Javier sings it enough to last a lifetime."

Rick chuckled, knowing exactly what song she was talking about, but thought over the question for a minute. "If you would have asked me that a while ago, I would have said no. My answer now is yes, and it's all from meeting you, Delilah." He grinned as he looked over and saw that familiar shade of pink tint her cheeks, and that's when he was hit with a burning question: _Am I falling in love with her? _There's no way, it's only been two months. _The heart wants what the heart wants though, but what is she to me? My friend? My ally? My lover? My girlfriend? _"What about you?" Rick asked, trying to shake his thoughts away for a later time when he was alone and could properly think things through.

Delilah looked over at him, seeing he was deep in thought and wondered what about, but answered anyway. "Yes, I definitely do. Love isn't the only thing that shapes us, but when you have it, it's treasured, or at least it should be." She was always a hopeless romantic, a firm believer in love. Despite how things ended with Billy, Delilah knew that she'd find love again, and it seemed like she finally had with Rick.

_You can't go falling with every guy you sleep with! _

_That's not it, he's different. He's one of the most wonderful_ _men I've ever met in my life. I can't help that I've fallen for him, but I can control when I'll tell him how I feel. _

_Yeah, right. Since when, Queen Impulsive?_

Her thoughts were dueling with each other inside her head, which became annoying. The more she thought about it, the more it was going to build up, and now wasn't the time.

"My thoughts exactly." They smiled over at each other before Delilah turned the volume on the stereo up. The beginning cords of "Invisible" by Clay Aiken started playing through the car, which made her freeze, embarrassed.

"Oh, my God! I can't believe this is even on here!"

Rick couldn't help but start laughing at her. "Clay Aiken? Really?" Delilah playfully slapped his arm.

"Don't make fun. I was a chubby twelve year old with no life and I thought he was cute, even though everybody but me knew he was gay. I went to see him in concert and threw my socks on the stage to get his attention. He actually picked them up and said "Somebody threw their dirty socks up here." and everybody started laughing, that's, like, 100,000 people! They weren't even dirty!" Delilah rolled her eyes as Rick continued to laugh.

"Wow, what a change up from lingerie that's usually thrown on stage!"

Delilah scoffed. "Trust me, there was plenty of that up there as well. I'm surprised he even found the socks!" She finally joined in on the laughter. It seemed like they were always laughing together, which was something that was needed, especially with the weight of the world on their shoulders.

Rick understood now why so many older men dated younger women, apart from the sex. Delilah's boundless stamina and buoyant character made her a thrilling challenge and he felt young again. Their age difference would always be a pressing issue, but it didn't matter anymore, especially since Delilah was very astute for her age. It would be one of many battles he was willing to take on for her.

"Ok, let's switch." Delilah pressed the skip button a couple of times until stopping on "You Set Me Free" by Michelle Branch. She already knew the song and it was the perfect one to describe how she was feeling. As Rick listened to the words, the same feeling encircled him also. They looked over at each other and smiled as the song played, both knowing they had set the other one free.

_**Fort Gaines, Two Hours Later**_

They had finally arrived in Fort Gaines to see that the same foggy weather from Lumpkin had carried over. The first stop was at an abandoned general store that had a deep forest in the back. Like Target, the place was looted with debris of trash, walker remains, and animal carcasses, all of which provided an inevitable stench. Rick and Delilah were doing everything not to gag as they stepped out of the car, even after almost two years, neither one of them could get used to the smell.

"You search the north and south sides of the woods while I check inside the store, then we'll cover east and west of the woods. If one of us finds anything, we have the walkie talkies."

Delilah nodded. "Got it. Judging by the amount of finished nombies, I'm thinking we have our work cut out for us, but we can't be too careful. If we get stuck, we'll use the secret call."

"I doubt it will come to that, but fine. Once I'm done in the store, I'll let you know when I'm heading out. Are you sure you want to go alone?"

"Yes, I'm sure. We'll cover more ground apart than together, it's how I found you and Carl." She smiled reassuringly in attempts to put him at ease.

"Well, you found us, so I'll take your word for it. Until then." Rick walked away from the truck and was about to proceed up the stairs of the general store when Delilah called out to him.

"Rick, wait!"

He stopped in his tracks. "Yes, Delilah?" Rick turned around to see Delilah standing with one leg bent while twirling a long lock of hair through her fingers. For some odd reason, it made him think of that Britney Spears "Baby One More Time…" music video, all that was missing was the school girl outfit instead of the True Religion jeans, shiny black Doc Martens, and a blue and grey baseball T.

"Don't I get a kiss for good luck?" Delilah was trying everything not to bust up laughing as she batted her long dark lashes. She saw him smile and shake his head before walking back over to her.

"Sure, what the hell? If you think it will work." Once they became face to face, Rick leaned in and gave her a light kiss, until Delilah spun them around and had him backed against the truck. It had almost caught him by surprise, especially when she stuck her tongue in his mouth, but it was something Rick had become used to around her, constantly being on his toes. Just as his hands landed on her hips and he was about to respond accordingly, Delilah pulled away with a sly twinkle in her eye and a sexy grin on her face.

"Good luck, Sheriff." She winked at Rick and walked off, leaving him a bit bewildered.

"What was that for?"

Delilah looked at him over her shoulder. "What else? So you could watch me walk away." She sauntered towards the forest in that unintentional seductive strut that came so naturally yet managed to wind him up. "Enjoy the view."

All Rick could do was smirk to himself and watch her. He rather enjoyed that she could be both flirtatious _and _serious at the same time without letting one overrule the other. Never predictable and always leaving something to the imagination. After watching until she was out of sight and waiting a couple minutes for the inevitable boner to wear off, Rick went inside the general store.

_**The Woods**_

"Michonne? Michonne!" Delilah called out to no answer, but what did she expect? A part of her wanted to wait until Rick was done with the store to cover the woods, but she wanted to surprise him. She knew that the kiss had turned him on, and hoped they would be able to get some more intimate alone time later. Rick was not only one of the sexiest guys she had ever met, but he was a remarkable lover. Delilah smiled to herself, thinking back on their sexing sessions earlier and how they had made the other one feel. What Rick gave to her was something she had always wanted, how he made love to her and worshiped her body the way a woman deserved, making her feel like a real woman instead of some prime cut of meat.

Despite how fantastic he was making her feel in all the ways he did, Delilah had to snap out of it and stay on top of her A game, in both the search of finding the others and concealing her feelings for a later time, hoping it wouldn't be too hard of a task to complete. Although, there weren't any rules about baring it all when nobody was around. Delilah's grin broadened as she started humming "On The Wings of Love" and continued calling out to Michonne, singing a lyric here and there, lightly swinging her baton.

Michonne watched Delilah and had been following her for the past ten minutes. Who was this strange girl and why was she calling to her? The past almost three months hadn't been so easy for Michonne. After killing The Governor and everybody separated, she met a man named Lee about an hour away who had also become separated from the group he was in, and he helped her look for the others, but it was a dead end. She accompanied him to Fort Gaines in hopes that the group had ventured out, but again, unsuccessful. Over that amount of time, her and Lee had gotten to know each other on a more personal level. It had been the first intimate relationship for either one of them since the outbreak. Lee was nice looking, intuitive, strong, a good warrior, a less intimidating version of Tyreese, but still proved himself as a worthy ally _and _lover. Unfortunately, things were short lived for the couple when Lee was attacked and turned a few days ago, and she had to decapitate him. At this point in her life, chopping the heads off of former loved ones that had turned into the deadly freaks had become a second nature. Michonne was once again on her own. She terribly missed the others and constantly wondered what happened to them. Maggie, Glenn, Beth, Daryl, Tyreese, Rick, Carl, Judith… Would she ever see any of them again? They had become like family to her and she would do whatever it took to get back to them. Michonne watched as the girl whipped out a walkie talkie.

"Tiny Dancer to Street Fighting Man, how's it looking in the general store?" The walkie talkie started crackling before a man's voice came through.

"Turning up empty. I'm making my way to the woods now." The voice on the other ended sounded familiar, but she couldn't make out who it was.

"Good, because I'm not having any luck either, unless she's a chameleon and I can't see her. Maybe I actually need you here for the good luck to work. This Michonne is a tough one to catch, no sign of Beth and Daryl either. From the descriptions you and Gleggie gave me, I should be able to spot them anywhere."

_How does she know my name? Beth? Daryl? Gleggie? Glenn and Maggie! _Michonne listened closely, still trying to make out the male voice but only getting every other word.

"She's stealthy, but I'm sure she'll recognize my voice over yours. The only problem is getting her back with us, she'll likely be skeptical."

A feeling of paranoia began to encase Michonne's mind and body upon hearing that last sentence. Who _were_ these people? Did they know Rick? No, wait… _The Governor_… His group had lots of members, but she didn't recognize this girl. What if she was a new recruit that had been trained to go after her and the others by those who already had allegiance to The Governor that wanted to avenge his death? She may be riding solo, but no way in hell was she going to be taken prisoner. Michonne crept up behind the girl, silent as could be, and slowly pulled out her katana, wanting to eliminate this dangerous threat.

"Hey, I've been dealing with uncertainty for almost three months, I think I can handle one more person. See you in a couple minutes." Delilah heard the sound of leaves crunching and slowly turned around to see a blade coming at her. She screamed in panic, swiftly stopping the blow with the middle of the Mandala Baton, coming face to face with a pretty African American woman. She had deep almond shaped dark brown eyes, milk chocolate skin, full lips, black dreadlocked hair, and an incredible katana. This had to be Michonne, who seemed a little astonished by the baton, but still had an angry look on her face. "Don't kill me! I can explain myself!"

"Who the hell are you and why are you looking for me?" Michonne could tell by Delilah's body and voice that she was young, but seeing her up close was a different story. This girl looked like she should be in movies rather than fighting zombies. She wasn't going to kill her, at least not before finding out her affiliations.

"My name's Delilah Daltrey, I was sent to look for you by the prison group. You're Michonne, aren't you?" Delilah was trying to be as calm as possible, but having a damn katana blade so close to her face would naturally freak anybody out. Michonne didn't look like she was backing down, and there was the risk of walkers, but Delilah felt like she didn't have a choice.

"_**RICK!"**_

She had shouted it loud enough so it echoed throughout the entire woods. Rick heard it and started running, but Michonne shot her a confused look.

"Rick Grimes?" Was that the voice on the other end? How did he know to come all the way to Fort Gaines? It was almost three hours away from the prison.

Delilah nodded. "Yes, Rick Grimes. We've been looking for you since the group separated-" Before Delilah could continue, that familiar disgusting gurgling sound rang through the air. They both turned around to see walkers slumping out of either end of the woods. "Shit!" Delilah backed away and started walking backwards, never taking her eyes off of Michonne. "I found Maggie with Tyreese, his sister and Bob. We have almost everybody. Glenn, the kids, Rick, Carl, and Judith. Don't go anywhere, I'm one of the good guys." Michonne watched her charge forward and start spinning the baton wildly, kicking the walkers in the stomach before impaling them. She was impressed by this girl, the baton reminded her of the katana in a way, except for Delilah put more pizzazz into her movements, like she was putting on a performance. Not showing off, but she was lively and graceful.

Rick ran up behind her. "Michonne, don't!"

Michonne froze, hoping that this wasn't one of the many dreams she had of being reunited, but was pleasantly surprised when she turned around. She almost didn't recognize him without the beard and shorter hair, but it was definitely Rick. Her eyes shone with tears of happiness as a smile spread across his face. "Rick!" They embraced tightly, both elated to see each other in the flesh after all this time. Rick knew all along that she'd make it, as would Beth and Daryl. Michonne pulled away, the tears freely falling.

"I didn't know when I'd see you again, I was almost starting to think I wouldn't. Everybody spread out so quickly…"

He nodded. "I know they did, and it's because of Delilah over here that any of us are together again."

They looked over to see Delilah finishing off the last nombie. She was panting heavily, her adrenaline coursing through her veins and smiled wickedly, always loving the thrill. Michonne glanced at Rick. "You trust her?"

"Don't answer that yet." Delilah walked forward but stopped a short distance, laying her baton on the ground and placing her hands halfway up as a sign of surrendering to earn Michonne's trust and respect. "A few days after the prison attack, I crossed paths with Maggie, Tyreese, Sasha, and Bob. They told me their story and I offered to help them track the rest of the group. Almost a week later, we discovered Glenn and a bunch of kids on one of the busses, and I found Rick and Carl after that. They've all been staying with me at the abandoned Jelly Belly Factory in Atlanta while we continued to look for you, Beth, and Daryl. I know about everything that happened with Woodbury and The One Eyed Freak Governor, I don't have any affiliation with his gang nor would I. I think you're a hero for everything you did to him, he more than deserved it. Naturally, you're skeptical of me, but I can assure you I am _the last _person to screw anybody over." She took a deep breath before continuing, this was always a disturbing part of the story, no matter who she was telling it to, even if it had become a second nature.

"When the outbreak happened, I left California with my sister and fiance to go to his family ranch in Texas, thinking it was a safe haven but everybody had already become infected. Little did I know that the two of them were an item behind my back and I was the last one to catch on. One day last year, the house was bombarded with walkers. I went to get my gun and came back to find Christine and Billy halfway out the window. When I tried to escape, she held me hostage until letting me go, I ended up falling off the second story balcony. I survived, but I never saw them again. I know that trust is something hard to earn, I hope to earn yours. When I found Rick and Carl in Peachtree City, they thought that Judith didn't survive because they found her car seat covered in blood before fleeing from the prison. I didn't tell them she was on the bus and alive at Jellbany because I didn't want it to come off as some kind of manipulation ploy or a trap, I wanted them to hear it from their own group so they could gain my trust, and they did. I promised everybody that I'd find you all, and we're pretty close, all we need is Beth and Daryl. You're resilient and tough, Rick's told me what an amazing person and ally you are. Your katana and my Mandala baton would be a lethal duo. With everything going on in this world, we are stronger collectively than we are separately. All of us, together, can be invincibly unbreakable. This group loves you, you are one of them, and it won't be complete without you. At least come back with us until you're all together again, I've said the same thing to Rick. Consider it a trial run. I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart so somebody else isn't away from their family and alone, like I was. Please." Delilah held out her hand to Michonne, waiting for her next move.

Rick watched the whole thing in awe. She reminded him of the homicide detectives that practically lived at the precinct until a case was solved, they gave it everything they had. Her own family abandonment was the driving force in helping them reunite, and there weren't that many selfless people around nowadays.

Michonne took in her words carefully, but could hear both the misery and genuineness in her voice. In a way, they were a lot alike, suffering great losses but still managed to get back on the horse and ride down the bumpy road that life had become. It wouldn't hurt to go back and check out their set up. She looked over at Rick, who nodded.

"She's good to her word, Michonne. I promise." For as long as they had known each other, Rick had always been a truthful and perceptive person, she trusted and valued his opinions greatly. If Delilah had gotten the majority of the group together so far, then she was already trustworthy to be doing such an unselfish deed for strangers like them. Plus, that spiked baton performance with the mini group of walkers had left her impressed. Michonne slowly stuck her hand in Delilah's and shook it. She sighed, thankful that Michonne came around, and exchanged a smile with Rick.

_**YAY! MICHONNE IS ON BOARD! **__**WHAT DID WE THINK OF THIS CHAPTER? RICK GENUINELY WANTS TO HELP DELILAH AND IS HE FALLING IN LOVE WITH HER ALSO? HOW MUCH LONGER WILL SHE BE ABLE TO HOLD HER FEELINGS IN? I LOVE THE FLIRTATIOUS VIBE THEY HAVE. CHAPTER TWELVE, BEAUTY IN THE BREAKDOWN, WILL BE COMING SOON!**_  


_**BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE STORY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**_

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!**_


	12. Chapter Twelve: Beauty in the Breakdown

**Hello world and my wonderful readers! How is everybody doing? Busy night last night with the Academy Awards AND TWD! As per usual, the Oscars had me in tears because that's where I want to be and I will not stop until I'm up there on that stage! To all the dreamers of the world, don't ever let those around you tear you down, believe in yourself! All in all, it was an unpredictable ceremony, lots of gorgeous dresses that were better than last year's, kind of sucked that _American_ _Hustle _got snubbed, it was a lovely little gem of a film! I'm so glad that "Let it Go" won for Best Song, I knew it would! ****I ****play that song every day to remind me to be strong and let my worries go. It ties in with the whole Phoenix theme, as does the title of this chapter "Beauty in the Breakdown" from the song "Let Go" by Frou Frou, as many of you will recognize from either the end of _Garden State_ or the pub scene from _The Holiday. _The episode of TWD was very intriguing and powerful, definitely didn't see that one coming. **

**AGAIN, ****What would be the point of FanFiction if some of the characters always resembled how they were on the shows? If you don't like my story or have a problem with my writing style, then don't bother reading it.**

**Sorry this chapter is kind of short, the next one will be longer. A LOT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN IN THE STORY! I think I am going to go back to posting on Mondays. **

**Thank you very much for the reviews so far! I hope to reach 100 or more. If anybody has any ideas for the story or original characters, feel free to message me! I would love to hear them. Thanks to both SilverSun09, and Hey01ig, two of my FanFiction best friends! They helped me with this chapter and story, and are both so talented and awesome, you rock! Thanks again for everything. :) Be sure to check out their work, people!**

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE, JELLY BELLY, OR LET GO. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), DAVID KLEIN AND THE JELLY BELLY COMPANY, FROU FROU, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.**_

**_WARNING: VERY STRONG LANGUAGE!_**

_**Chapter Twelve: Beauty in the Breakdown**_

_**For as long as they had known each other, Rick had always been a truthful and perceptive person, she trusted and valued his opinions greatly. If Delilah had gotten the majority of the group together so far, then she was already trustworthy to be doing such an unselfish deed for strangers like them. Plus, that spiked baton performance with the mini group of walkers had left her impressed. Michonne slowly stuck her hand in Delilah's and shook it. She sighed, thankful that Michonne came around, and exchanged a smile with Rick. **_

_**AN HOUR LATER**_

The car ride back had been pretty silent apart from the stereo playing and Rick filling Michonne in on Jellbany. Delilah never dealt with quiet people very well. They were such a contrast from her gregariously extroverted persona that it made any introverts a challenge to get them to talk.

"So, Michonne, Rick tells me you used to be a lawyer. What kind of law did you practice?" No answer. "I bet you weren't like Saul Goodman on _Breaking Bad_. You know, "Better Call Saul!"" Delilah started timidly laughing while Michonne was unfazed, which only made her ramble on more. "I used to be so obsessed with that show and _True Blood_. It kind of makes you wonder where all the famous people are now. Like President Obama and Taylor Swift and Queen Elizabeth and Larry King and Matthew McConaughey and Meryl Streep and the cast of _The Big Bang Theory_. Where the heck are they?" She kept laughing nervously, and Rick knew nothing would come of this, in spite of her efforts.

"Uh, Delilah, Michonne isn't much of a talker until she gets to know you better."

Delilah looked over at him. "Sorry, I get kind of nervous with quiet people." She mumbled, gripping the steering wheel tightly before looking up in the rearview window. "If there's anything you want to know, ask away."

Rick really admired Delilah for trying, but he had known Michonne for the past year and knew she was a hard nut to crack. After a long uncomfortable silence for a few miles, she finally spoke up.

"How'd you survive that balcony fall?"

Delilah almost didn't hear her, she had spoken so gruffly. This question almost always followed whenever the story was told of how she was deserted. If telling the story was hard, this part was the hardest of all, because it was when everything came back and set in. Delilah hesitated and heavily exhaled, her mind flashing back as she spoke. "Well, my sister threw my hands off the ladder knobs and I went stumbling back. The last thing I heard her say was…"

"_Sweet dreams, baby sister." Christine said in a Minnie Mouse esque tone before climbing down the ladder. Delilah had stumbled all the way against the balcony, the creepy sounds of the zombies rang through her ears. A huge crash of lightning burst through the sky and shook the ground. The balcony and the railings she was up against broke with a loud snapping sound. Delilah went plummeting from the second story, screaming for her life, as she went down, down, down, but stopped somehow._

_Delilah opened her eyes to find that she was dangling in mid air, the hood of her Juicy jacket was caught in one of the balusters. She was saved for the moment, but it didn't stop the nombies. They were still making that disgusting noise, reaching out to grab and turn her into nourishment for the dead. Delilah kicked them away as best as she could until losing one of her Ugg slippers, making her bare foot an open target. She screamed and lifted her knees as she tried to lift herself up onto the second floor, but to no avail. This was it, she really __**was**__ going to die, until she looked down and saw a few balusters that fell when the balcony broke, they were sticking in a few nombie heads, officially killing them. _

_**THAT'S IT! THE BALUSTERS ARE BROKEN AND ARE ALREADY LOOSE. I FELL OFF THE FAR END OF THE BALCONY. ALL I HAVE TO DO IS SWING, PULL THEM OFF, IMPALE THESE FREAKS IN THE HEAD, AND SWING TO THE NEXT ONE UNTIL I GET TO THE STEPS. JUST LIKE THE MONKEY BARS! YOU CAN DO THIS, DELILAH. YOU HAVE TO SURVIVE! **_

_She took a deep breath and swung her body forward, with her hands grabbing either one of the balusters, pulling one out and trying to jab it through a walker head, but her arms couldn't read that far. _

_**MY FEET! I DO PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING WITH THEM. **_

_Briefly mourning the loss of her favorite UGG slippers, Delilah flung the other one off and put the baluster between her feet, driving it into a zombie head. She smiled as it slumped to the floor and repeated the action, baluster by baluster, grunting all the while, until finally getting to the steps. With all the strength she could muster, Delilah moved back and forth a couple times before lifting herself up onto the steps and impaling the last of the deadly freaks. _

_**THAT REALLY WAS LIKE THE MONKEY BARS. **_

_Delilah rolled over onto the top of the steps and laid on her stomach, panting heavily as she looked down at the pile up of bodies, it was like a mosh pit. _

_**HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? **_

_There was no time to allow thought process, she had to leave this house immediately. Rising to her feet, she walked into the room she shared with Billy. All traces of him were completely gone, but Delilah couldn't get stuck on that and started packing everything she owned into the Voltaic Array Solar Charger backpack that he had given her. Inside there was an ACR Electronics Microfix Personal Beacon that could find anybody, a couple headlamps and LED flashlights, a pair of night vision goggles, an ETON American Red Cross Solarlink FR360 Radio, a Jetboil Personal Cooking System, a LIFESAVER water bottle, a solar concept tent, and an Iridium Extreme phone. Her clothes just fit in there. _

_After throwing on a pair of socks and sneakers and dragging her backpack, she made her way into Christine's room, finding all of her belongings packed as well. _

_**THEY HAD THIS PLANNED ALL ALONG, TO GET RID OF ME AND BE TOGETHER.**_

_Delilah felt her eyes brimming with tears, but stopped herself from crying and went into Mamie and Papie Steverson's room. Dim paisley walls, dark wood furniture, antique decorations, the room looked fit for grandparents. Delilah surveyed everything until landing on a picture of her and Billy that was on the dresser. She picked it up, thinking back to the day. It was taken the year before, when they announced their engagement at the ranch, some time before the outbreak. Billy had his arm wrapped around her waist, they were looking at each other and laughing. It was a happier time, they had been so in love… Delilah was so in love… Billy wanted Christine, not her…_

"_**BASTARD!" **_

_In a fit of rage, she threw the picture against the wall, the frame shattered upon impact, but she didn't even care. They abandoned her, Christine tried to kill her! That evil smirk on her face…_

_Without even a second thought, Delilah swept up Mamie and Papie's elaborate jewelry and watch collection into the backpack until it was stuffed to the brim. Whenever there was a problem, apart from writing and because they had the money, Delilah was a heavy activist in retail therapy. There was nothing like a pair of Christian Louboutins or a Chanel purse or a new book to put a smile on her face and lift her spirits. _

_**I'M IN TEXAS, THERE'S SOME GREAT SHOPPING HERE. THANKS FOR MAKING THE FIVE FINGER DISCOUNT LEGAL, ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE! **_

_Besides, since Billy was the favorite grandchild, these personal effects were guaranteed to her. _

_**MAYBE THAT'S HOW HE AND CHRISTINE BONDED, FROM BEING THE FAVORITE ONE. I WAS A FAVORITE, TOO, JUST NOT A GRANDPARENT'S FAVORITE…**_

_She slung the backpack over her shoulders and walked out of the room. As she was about to walk down the stairs, something shiny caught the corner of her eye, making her walk over to the window. Lying on the floor were the keys to the semi-truck, the one that held Billy's immense stockpile. Delilah snatched up the keys and smiled. _

_**THEY MUST BE GOING CRAZY WITHOUT THESE! I'LL BE ABLE TO SURVIVE FOR A LONG TIME, NOW. EXCEPT I'LL BE ALONE. I CAN ALWAYS USE THE BEACON AND THE IRIDIUM PHONE TO FIND THEM, BUT WHAT'S THE POINT? THIS WAS WHAT THEY WANTED, A LIFE WITHOUT ME, AND IT'S WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET. **_

_Delilah looked around one last time, the house was so warm and cozy at one point, filled with so many fond memories. Now, it was a hellhole that reeked of death, and she couldn't stay. There was nothing nor anybody left for her. She made her way down the stairs when a walker hand grabbed her leg and started gurgling, trying to take a bite. Delilah screamed and snatched one of the loose side balusters, impaling the walker. After she was sure it was dead, she sprinted down the stairs and was surprised to see a dead bloody deer with it's insides pouring out. The sight brought her to tears and made her stomach churn, the poor helpless animal. Covering her mouth, she leapt over the deer and threw up in the nearest rose bush, not even noticing the rain. It was usually sunny in the Lone Star State, especially during the spring, not cloudy and rainy like it was today. The thunder seemed pretty low but the rain was pouring and the X5 was nowhere to be found. _

_**IT'S TIME TO GO, DELILAH.**_

_She sighed, proceeding to the truck and was about to get inside when rain stopped and something else started falling from the sky… hail. Fatal little white balls sheeted down like no tomorrow. Delilah screamed and bolted under the truck, worried that the windshield and windows would break. The hail didn't stop for almost twenty minutes and the rain resumed immediately after. She crawled out from under the truck to hear a loud creaking sound, looking over to witness the house that she was inside not thirty minutes prior, caving in and crumbling. Delilah gasped, watching it collapse to the ground while the rain poured down even harder. A cold, harsh reality dawned on her, she truly was all alone and no longer had anybody. Not her mom or Christine or Billy or her dog Motley or even Angelo. Delilah burst into tears and started banging her fist against the truck, the panic closing in with the rain, and that's when she realized what date it was…_

"The first of April."

Michonne had the same stoic look on her face, but her eyes had saddened a bit upon hearing this story. It reminded her a little of the moment she became truly alone, one that would stick with her forever, no matter how much things improved. It was probably harder because Delilah had no confirmation on whether or not her sister and fiancé were still alive and most likely, she never would know.

Rick looked over to see Delilah's eyes shinning. This was the first time he had heard this portion of the story and he understood why, it was clearly troubling for her. He wanted nothing more than to grab her hand, to wipe her tears away and hold her tight in his arms like he did only hours before, but knowing he couldn't right now because of Michonne. They had to keep things under wraps, not for much longer, hopefully.

"It was the worst April Fool's of my life, and it wasn't even a prank. Lost a $120 pair of UGG Australia slippers because of those two." She sniffled, trying everything to hold herself together but knew that it was only a matter of seconds before she broke. Delilah flipped on the right turn signal and slowly pulled off the side of the road, the tears already leaving her sockets and not caring that Rick and Michonne were watching.

"Are you ok?" Rick reached out to touch her shoulder, not too worried because it would only come off as being part of his compassionate nature.

Delilah flung off her seat belt. "I'm fine." She couldn't even look at him or else she'd start crying harder, seeing the pity in his eyes. "I'll be right back." They watched as she slammed the car door shut and bolted out to a field off the road. Delilah kept running until she was in the middle of the field, not too far from the truck but far enough that nothing could be heard. The weather was similar to that day, but with a less heavy rainfall and without the hail. She was glad to be on her own, even if it was brief. The memories were flooding back and taunting her, she had started hyperventilating as more tears streamed down her face.

"I didn't deserve this… I DIDN'T DESERVE IT!" Delilah screamed loudly before moving on from saying sentences and just screamed. They didn't love her like she had loved them. Billy and Christine were selfish and heartless and only cared about each other, they had probably never cared or loved Delilah. The signs were there, she was just hoping they weren't real, but they had been, and things turned out to be worse than she ever imagined. Life had already been hard enough, why was she served such a cruel fate? Delilah was practically wailing, she hadn't cried like this in a very long time.

"I LOVED YOU! I WOULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING FOR YOU, BUT YOU LEFT ME, JUST LIKE THAT FUCKING DEER IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE! YOU TRIED TO KILL ME! IT WAS ALL A SET UP! WHAT DID I EVER DO TO MERIT THIS?! I'VE HAD ENOUGH PROBLEMS IN MY LIFE, I DIDN'T NEED TO BE ALONE! MOTHERFUCKING TWO-TIMING ASSHOLE BASTARD PRICK AND AN UNGRATEFUL BACKSTABBING JEALOUS FUCKING CUNT! THAT'S WHAT THE TWO OF YOU ARE! FUCK YOU!"

What Delilah didn't know was that despite how far away she was, Rick and Michonne were able to hear and see everything, how she was jumping up and down and kicking the grass whilst shouting. In all honesty, Delilah looked like a five year old, and Rick understood what she meant earlier when she mentioned "outbursts". The spectacle that Delilah had made of herself in such a short time was heartbreaking, she really was in a lot of pain. Perhaps this was the best thing for her, to let it all out.

"Do you think you should go talk to her?" Michonne's question broke Rick's concentration. Should he go talk to her and would it help? It was worth a try.

"Yeah, I think I should. I'll be back." He got out of the car and walked through the field to Delilah, who had finally stopped screaming and crying, just panting heavily. She looked up at the sky and watched the rain fall, it was so loud that she hadn't even heard Rick call out to her.

"Delilah!" She turned around to see him walking up. Had he heard her ranting and raving? "Are you ok? I was worried about you." Rick looked at her and she could see the genuine concern. His gaze made her become conscious of something, something that should have set in a long time ago, maybe she was avoiding it or maybe now it finally hit her. What Billy and Christine did was inexcusable and vindictive, but if it hadn't been for them, she wouldn't have gone to Georgia and found Javier and Matt or Ivan and Brandi through the Iridium phone. They never would have gotten together and found Jellbany or brought in other survivors, including Madison. Delilah never would have become best friends with Madison and Javier if it weren't for being abandoned, she wouldn't have come across Maggie, and that meant that she wouldn't have met Rick and Carl either. Rick, the man standing right in front of her, not Billy, the boy that left her behind.

_The past is in the past, this is your life now. Remember that Gandhi quote from high school? "We must become the change we want to see"? You have grown and changed so much in this last year. Look at all the good things you've done, the people you've helped, the lives you've saved. The world may be dead, but __**your **__world is still living on and living on strong._

"I'm fine, I will be. They were the ones dragging me down the whole time, now I'm liberated. I have friendships and love all around me, I am a survivor. I will carry on without them. It doesn't matter about Billy and Christine, the only person I needed to prove anything to was myself, and I have prevailed in the face of adversity."

Everybody has their moments of doubt and weakness, it's only human, but they both knew what she was capable of, especially overcoming said moments. Delilah was one of the strongest people that Rick had ever met, her immense courage was admirable and something that was potentially envied by others.

"You have, you can't let yourself forget it, either. Most people would have surrendered under pressure, because it seemed like the easy thing to do, but you fought the battle, Delilah. Not many people have that kind of fortitude."

He was right, she could have very easily given up, possibly taken her own life, but she didn't. Instead, she made the best of it and turned things around to how she wanted them to be.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, I needed to let it out, but now I'm embarrassed that Michonne heard me."

Rick shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Michonne is no stranger to traumatic events. We all have a past, but it's long gone at this point. Yours and mine."

Delilah smiled. She may have cracked a bit, but she wasn't entirely broken. Through the emotional breakdown, she had found a clarifying beauty and it was time to return to that. "You're so incredible, Rick. Why couldn't I have met you first instead of Billy? I know that sounds naïve, but I can't help but think it. Maybe things would have turned out differently, for everybody."

It was naïve, but at the same time such a sweet and innocent question, one that he didn't have an answer for at all.

"I don't know. We can't keep thinking about what could have been, but you have me now, and nothing counts like the present."

_I have him. He's mine. He __**is **__mine. _"I know, you're right."

"Ready to leave? Everybody's waiting on us."

"Yes, I am. Let's go." Delilah wiped her eyes and walked back to the truck behind Rick, with a smile on her face. Michonne looked at her as she stepped inside and shut the door, glad to see Delilah had stopped crying, but still kept the same expression on her face. Delilah was about to start the car when she looked out the window. "Oh, my gosh! Look, it's a rainbow!" She pointed outwards. There, in the rainy fog in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, was a beautiful pale rainbow. They all smiled, seeing it as a little sign of peace in hell.

"What do you know? See, things are already looking up." Rick smiled affectionately at Delilah, he had all the hope in the world for her, just like she had with him.

"Looks like they are." Delilah started the truck and skipped a couple songs on the CD until it landed on "Let Go" by Frou Frou. She smiled and drove off as the song played. The tension was still a little awkward, but there was some calmness in the mix, the rest of the ride would be smooth sailing.

"Why Georgia?" Michonne asked. That was the second most asked question Delilah received whenever telling her story. She looked over at Rick and they exchanged a secret smirk, one that Michonne immediately noticed and made her mind wander.

"Besides the Center for Disease Control? For the shopping, I had to replace those slippers."

_**AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER, 1:00 PM, JELLBANY**_

Michonne looked around curiously as they pulled into Jellbany. It was the Taj Mahal of the apocalypse, and it certainly sounded like it from what she had been told, it was a refuge for all of them, but would they stay long? The trio got out of the car, being sprinkled with light rain.

"I'll gather everybody up, then come back and get you. Shouldn't be longer than a couple minutes." Delilah smiled and walked inside, feeling much better since her cry and excited to introduce Michonne to the others. As Rick was about to follow, Michonne got in front of him, her expression never changing, which made him shoot her a puzzled look.

"Is there something going on with you and Miss California Teen Dream?"

Rick had a feeling she knew something was up, she had always been very intuitive. He couldn't lie to her, even if he had agreed with Delilah to keep things under wraps, but he trusted Michonne enough to know that she wouldn't repeat it.

"Yes, for almost two months." In a way, it felt like kind of a relief to confide in somebody. Michonne smirked.

"I knew that smile was over more than a damn rainbow."

He chuckled. "You're the only one that's caught on. Not even Carl knows yet. I know I can trust you to keep it between us. Things are getting serious, we want to tell him privately first before anybody else."

She nodded. "You have my word, that's the best thing to do. However, if _I _was able to figure it out, I think others might have a clue as well. The question is, are you happy?"

The thought of the rest of the group having a hint of their relationship left him a little panicked, but that didn't deflect the question at hand, and knew he didn't have to think twice. "I am, actually, and it's all because of Delilah. She pulled me out of the miserable funk I was in."

Michonne smiled. Rick had been thrown repeatedly into the ringer for the past year, he not only deserved to be happy, but he needed it. If it was from his relationship with Delilah, then it was the best thing for him. She had done so much for him and their group, Michonne could tell that she cared about all of them a great deal. "Then that's the only thing that matters."

**_UH-OH! MICHONNE CAUGHT ON! DID ANYBODY SEE THAT COMING? _**_****__**WHAT DID WE THINK OF THIS CHAPTER? POOR DELILAH! DO YOU SEE A DIFFERENCE FROM HOW SHE USED TO BE TO HOW SHE IS NOW? RICK GENUINELY WANTS TO HELP DELILAH AND IS HE FALLING IN LOVE WITH HER ALSO? HOW MUCH LONGER WILL SHE BE ABLE TO HOLD HER FEELINGS IN? CHAPTER THIRTEEN, SOMEWHERE OUT THERE, WILL BE COMING SOON, WHERE A SHOCKING TURN OF EVENTS WILL HAPPEN! THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET INTENSE, SO BRACE YOURSELVES!**_

_**BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE STORY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**_

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!**_


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Somewhere Out There

**Hello world and my wonderful readers! How is everybody doing? I was going to wait and post this chapter on Saturday to commemorate Sam's birthday, but I'm not having the best day and decided to post it now (Plus, I finished and this chapter is juicy!). Sam was one of my best friends from high school, he passed away last March, his one year anniversary is March 19th, 11 days after his birthday. I still can't believe he's gone, wish you were here. **

**AGAIN, ****What would be the point of FanFiction if some of the characters always resembled how they were on the shows? If you don't like my story or have a problem with my writing style, then don't bother reading it.**

**The character of Madison is based off of my best friend and twinnie, the incredibly talented Amy! One of our inside jokes is "Michonne lying on the floor, talking to a baby!" From when Chris Hardwicke said it on _Talking Dead._****I also don't own that phrase either but I had to put it in. ;P. Love you, Amy!**

**Thank you very much for the reviews so far! I hope to reach 100 or more. If anybody has any ideas for the story or original characters, feel free to message me! I would love to hear them. Thanks to both SilverSun09, and Hey01ig, two of my FanFiction best friends! They helped me with this chapter and story, and are both so talented and awesome, you rock! Thanks again for everything. :) Be sure to check out their work, people!**

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE, JELLY BELLY, SOMEWHERE OUT THERE OR HARDER TO BREATHE. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), DAVID KLEIN AND THE JELLY BELLY COMPANY, JAMES HORNER, AND MAROON 5, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.**_

**_WARNING: STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT!_**

_**Chapter Thirteen: Somewhere Out There**_

_**Michonne smiled. Rick had been thrown repeatedly into the ringer for the past year, he not only deserved to be happy, but he needed it. If it was from his relationship with Delilah, then it was the best thing for him. She had done so much for him and their group, Michonne could tell that she cared about all of them a great deal. "Then that's the only thing that matters." **_

Their conversation was cut short by Delilah walking back up to them. "Alright, everybody's ready. Let's head inside." They followed her and as soon as Michonne walked through the door, she was met with the same reaction Rick and Carl received upon their arrival: Applause. Both groups were standing around, clapping and cheering. Rick's group ran up and hugged her tightly. Michonne was taken aback from all the excitement, but it was also validating, she was back with the family again. Carl was probably the most excited to see her, they had formed a rather unique bond. She smiled, seeing him and Judith walking up, and bent down to hug the baby, relieved that she was alive and safe.

"Michonne on the floor, talking to a baby!" Madison sing songed like some country western singer with a banjo, which made everybody shoot her strange glances before laughing.

"Don't worry, Michonne. Meet Madison, the rodeo clown." Delilah smiled. Michonne reached her hand out to shake it, but Madison did exactly what she did when she met Rick and Carl, swooped her up in a big hug. "Madison, don't!"

"Mich-onne! Rootie Tootie Fresh n' Fruity it is so swell to meet ya! The Female Bruce Lee with a katana! I got it! How about we call y'all "Foxy Brown"? You're just as bad ass as she is!" Madison set her down, not seeing how stiff and uncomfortable Michonne had become. She didn't know how to handle the cowgirl, and assumed she had a screw loose, but wrote it off as her just being way out there. Madison was the last kind of personality she had dealt with, so she gave a half smile and shrugged.

"K."

Delilah, along with Rick's group, all heaved a sigh of relief, thankful that Michonne hadn't taken out Madison with her katana. Carl walked up to Delilah and Rick. "I'm glad you guys found Michonne."

Delilah smiled at him. "What can I say? Your dad was my good luck charm." She elbowed Rick and winked out of the corner of her eye, making him smile. "Hey, Carl. I've got a surprise for you, come with me, and bring Judith with you." Carl picked up the baby and followed her outside as she turned back to face the others. "I need all the males except for Javier! Can you guys help me?" They nodded and followed her.

Javier scoffed. "Why didn't you ask me?!"

"I didn't want to hear you bitching that you broke a nail, that's why. Where's Tyler?"

"Sleeping. He's been sick since yesterday." Jason said.

Delilah was secretly glad that the jerk wasn't around, and was hoping it would become permanent. "Santa's Little Helpers have arrived with goodies for one and all, young and old! Including duct tape for you, Maddie." The adults clapped and the kids cheered. She smiled, knowing that they would all be happy with the latest findings.

Madison broke out in a honky tonk dance. "YEE-HAW! Thanks, darlin'! You know I can't survive in no zombie 'pocalypse without muh duct tape!"

Delilah smirked and leaned into Rick. "If only she knew it was for her mouth." They started laughing over that, which made Madison look at them.

"What's got you in a fit of giggles over there, Lila Loo?"

They both stopped and smiled politely. "Nothing, dear. I swear." The guys followed Delilah outside. Once the truck was opened, she went into the back, coming out with Carl's surprise as the rest of the men started unloading the truck. "Here you go, sugar cutie." Rick rolled his eyes, suppressing a laugh, but glad that she had found a place for the nickname. Delilah handed Carl a limited edition box set with 17" action figures of The Avengers along with a copy of _Watchmen_.

Carl's eyes lit up in excitement. "Sweet, this is freaking awesome! Thanks so much, Delilah."

"You're welcome. I had to grab them, I think you'll love that graphic novel. It's a personal favorite of mine. And this is for you, Judith!" She showed her the Mickey Mouse doll, pressing it's hand and couldn't help but burst into a huge smile as Judith started laughing and clapping with the rockin' Mickey Mouse.

"What'd you get for us, Delilah?" Brock asked, to which she nodded her head to the side.

"Pick out what you want in the back." They brushed past her as she looked back at Carl. "I'm glad you like them. Lock, pop, and shoot it, kid?"

"Yeah." He was getting a little of a bighead, knowing Jason and Brock were right, she did like him a lot. Delilah jumped off the truck, wrapping her pointer and middle fingers around Carl's. They pulled back, making a "popping" sound upon release, and made finger guns at each other and nodded a single time with an assertive smirk on their faces. Rick loved watching his kids so happy, and hoped it would last for Carl when he found out about him and Delilah.

_**11:30 pm**_

Delilah walked up the stairs in Home Base after finishing a night check of the premises. Although the day had gotten off to a bit of a rocky start, things had definitely improved. Michonne was still pretty quiet and reserved, but she wasn't as aloof after meeting the original group members. Perhaps in spite of everything she was in shock to be reunited with everybody and simply needed a day or two for it all to sink in, it certainly was a lot with the new surroundings and the faces inside. Delilah was in very high spirits, all that was left was to find Beth and Daryl and things would be complete, they could all live happily ever after together. She smiled, softly singing "This Kiss" by Faith Hill to herself, on cloud nine because she knew Rick was waiting in her room.

As she hit the last set of stairs, she was surprised to see Rick actually waiting for her at the top, his blue eyes glistened a bit in the dim moonlight poking through the window, a relaxed smile on his face. Delilah could hear her heart thumping loudly in her chest as the cloak of excitement wrapped around her and a huge smile spread across her face, feeling like a little kid seeing Mickey Mouse at Disneyland for the first time. Without even a second thought, she dashed up the stairs and flew into Rick's arms. He grunted in surprise and stumbled a bit against the door, as she pressed her lips and body up against his, her hands on his shoulders with one foot popped. _I really was singing the perfect song just now. _

Delilah pulled back to find him laughing.

"Hello to you, too. Where did that come from?"

She shrugged as her smile broadened. "I'm just glad to see you is all. Today was kind of hectic." Every time Delilah saw him, her heart would soar. It was going to be difficult holding her feelings in for another month.

"Yes, it was, but all for good." He smiled at her, but was still confused about his feelings. _It's way too soon to fall in love again, Grimes. Take it easy._

"Indeed. What are you doing out here? I thought you'd be in my room." Delilah moved past him and opened the door, not seeing the smirk on Rick's face.

"I had to teach you a lesson for leaving me with a hard on at the general store, ya little tease." Unexpectedly, he smacked her on the butt, she gasped upon hearing the sound and feeling his hand hit her ass, not too subdued and not too rough, just right.

"Rick!" Delilah turned around and saw him laughing and couldn't help but start laughing. "You are so gonna get it for that!" She grabbed his hand and pushed the door open, ready for some wild and crazy sex. By the look on his face, that was exactly what Rick had on his mind, both their hormones kicking into overdrive.

They were stopped by a sudden crying sound, and looked over at each other. "Is that one of the kids?"

Delilah shook her head. "No, I don't think so." Curiously, she walked down the hall to find the crying coming from Glenn and Maggie's room. "It's coming from Gleggie's room."

_Oh, no! I hope everything is ok. I have to check on them. _She motioned to Rick. "Come on, we should go check to see what's wrong. We'll just say you came with me on the night round, no biggie." Before he could protest, Delilah was already on her way, he kind of didn't have a choice

"Maggie, don't cry, everything is going to be fine." Glenn tried to reassure her, but was interrupted by a knocking on the door, and got up to answer it.

"No, Glenn, it won't be! It's been almost three months and we still haven't found her!" Maggie cried into her pillow. He shook his head, disheartened, opening the door to find Rick and Delilah on the other side. If he wasn't so dejected, he would have been a little surprised to see them together.

"Hey, guys."

"Hey." Delilah looked over Glenn's shoulder to see Maggie crying. "Oh, Maggie! What's wrong, sweetheart?" She brushed past him and sat on the bed, pulling Maggie in for a hug. Glenn looked back at Rick.

"We were just coming back from a night check and wanted to see what was going on when we heard crying just now." Glenn nodded, it seemed plausible, which made Rick relieved. They both looked at the girls. Delilah had separated from the hug and was across from Maggie, sitting halfway on the bed.

"Don't cry, Maggie. What's the matter? I'm here for you."

Maggie brought her head up from the pillow. Her eyes were bloodshot and her nose was red, tears streaming down her face. "I'm just so worried about Beth and Daryl, her especially. We don't even know if they're together or separate! For all I know, she could be out there all by herself!" She was practically hiccupping she was so distraught. Glenn walked over and stood by her side of the bed, handing her a Kleenex to blow her nose. "She's never been alone before, even when I was away at college, Daddy and Annette were still around. She's our little doodlebug. I shouldn't have let her out of my sight, I should be trying harder to find her. Above all, after what happened to Daddy, Beth must be so terrified that she's without the people she loves. Me, Glenn, this whole group has become a family to us. I am the worst sister in the world!" Glenn pulled her head into his stomach, hugging her as she started crying again. Delilah looked over at Rick, they both knew that she was thinking about Christine. "I have to go get her, I gotta leave right now." Maggie tried to stand up, making the three of them worried.

"No, no, no." Delilah grabbed onto her forearm while Glenn gently held onto her shoulders to prevent her from getting up.

"Maggs, don't."

"Maggie, we're gonna find her and Daryl, I know it. You should get some rest." Rick spoke up. He knew what she was feeling, everything was incomplete without the two of them. They may have been family, but Maggie and Beth were the real blood. She heavily sighed, sitting back on the bed with her knees up.

"Alright, but I wanna leave tomorrow. I don't care how long it takes, I won't come back until I find her."

Glenn nodded. "Of course."

Delilah could tell that Maggie was still upset and wanted to cry. It was so touching to see how much she cared about her little sister and wouldn't throw her to the wolves to save her own self. She put her hand on Maggie's shoulder. "Maggie, look at me." She reluctantly obliged, looking into Delilah's understanding aquamarine orbs.

"I promise you that Beth is fine. After everything you've told me that she's endured, she's stronger from it. You are _far _from being the worst sister in the world. The fact that you're worried sick shows how much you genuinely love and care about her, you're the _best _big sister. Beth is so lucky to have you." This was all bringing Delilah back to that day at the ranch, but she shoved it out of her mind. She had come to accept that she no longer had a big sister, but she _did _have a family, and it was her job to protect and console them, now more than ever. "Maggie, do you know the story of Christian the Lion?" Maggie and Rick looked inquisitively at Delilah, Maggie shook her head.

"No."

"I'm familiar with it, but can't remember specifics." Glenn said, which made Delilah turn to him.

"It's ok, I'll tell the story." She turned back to Maggie.

"Back in 1969, there were these two Australian men, John Rendall and Ace Berg, they bought a lion from the exotic animal department at Harrods in London as an impulse purchase, but they raised it as one of their own and named him Christian. The three of them lived happily with Christian as their housecat, but as he got bigger, they moved him to their furniture store and exercised him at a church courtyard, but he just kept getting bigger and bigger until he reached 200 pounds and was a full grown lion.

One day, Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna saw Christian in the furniture store. The two of them had just starred in the film _Born Free_ the year before. The film was based on a true story about Elsa, a lion cub that had been successfully rehabilitated into the African wild by conservationist George Adamson and his wife Joy, and the actors suggested to Rendall and Berg to have Adamson re-establish Christian into the wild for a more appropriate home. George was hesitant about taking Christian, he had a very different first year in London over Elsa, who had never left Africa, but took him anyway. In 1971, Christian had finally adapted to the wild, including the leader of his pride and having a litter of cubs. Rendall and Berg decided to make one last trip to say good bye, despite Adamson telling them it could possibly be a waste of time, Christian hadn't been seen in about nine months and he might not remember who they were. You know what happened next?" Maggie shook her head.

"Christian and his pride appeared at Adamson's camp the night before Rendall and Berg's arrival, as if he knew they were coming, and was sitting on his favorite rock waiting. When Christian saw his former owners, he approached them cautiously, but then leapt up playfully on them, standing on his hind legs and wrapping his front legs around their shoulders, hugging them and nuzzling their faces." Delilah smiled as she got to the last part. "The point of the story is that no matter where you are or what the circumstances happen to be, your family is your home, it's never forgotten and you can always find your way back to each other. I have a feeling that you'll be the one to find her over any of us."

Rick watched Delilah with them the whole time she was telling the story. She really was an angel, going out of her way to assure faith that Beth and Daryl would be found and to comfort her friends. Delilah exemplified love and being gallant for the sake of others, how could her sister and fiancé have possible given her up? Their loss, Rick and the others had her now. Maggie wiped her and eyes and smiled.

"You're right, we will. I just have to believe. It's like that song, "Somewhere Out There". Even though I know that we're far apart right now, we could be sleeping underneath the same big sky and wishing on the same bright star that we'll find one another somewhere out there and be together again." Everybody smiled, they all knew the song. It was ironic that Maggie mentioned it. Until she found Javier and Matt, when she was alone, Delilah would sing that song to herself every night until she fell asleep, slightly hoping that she'd be reunited with somebody again. She could feel her eyes tearing, but sucked it up as she watched Glenn stroke Maggie's hair.

"That's the spirit, and you have all of us to help you."

Delilah nodded. "Like I said, we aren't stopping until we find them. Rick's my good luck charm, we'll find them. Right?" She turned to him and smiled. In a way, they were each other's good luck charm.

He smiled and nodded. "Right."

She turned back to Maggie and Glenn. "I've got a great idea. While we're here, why don't we upgrade your idea for a threesome into an orgy?"

Simultaneously, the four of them busted up laughing.

_**TEN DAYS LATER**_

"That's fantastic, I can't wait to tell her. We'll see you in twenty minutes." Rick switched off the Iridium phone with a huge smile on his face, he couldn't wait to tell Delilah that Beth and Daryl were found. It had taken three months, but they were finally going to be back together again, the family reunited and in a new home. As he made his way to find Delilah, he ran into Madison.

"Well, howdy! Where ya going in such a hurry, Sheriff Sexy?"

Rick chuckled. He had gotten pretty used to Madison's off the wall personality in the past few months. Delilah was right, there really never was a dull moment. "Have you seen Delilah?"

"She's in her room. What's going on?" Ever since the day Delilah found Rick and Carl, Madison could sense the spark between Delilah and Rick. She didn't know how obvious it was to everybody else, but it was best friend's intuition, her and Javier both had the same feeling about them.

"The last two members of our group were found! They'll be here with Glenn and Maggie in twenty minutes, can you fill the others in?"

She beamed, knowing how much this meant to Delilah and how she vowed to find every last member. "Well, I'll be a hippo's aunt! Delilah is going to be elated! I'll round everybody up, don't you worry about a thing, go tell her!" Madison slapped Rick on the shoulder, making him laugh, and watched him walk off. "Mm-mm-mm. That ass is super hot! Lucky Delilah. Now it's time for me to catch a stallion."

_**HOME BASE**_

"Delilah!" Rick ran up the stairs of Home Base and through the door of the fifth floor. "Delilah!" He heard music coming from her room with the door closed, and knocked on it. "Delil-" Rick stopped, caught off guard by the sight of his girl.

Delilah was wearing a black sequin crop top vest cut just a few inches below her belly button that opened up to show ample cleavage, black leather pants, and three inch white and pink platform heels with pink bows on them, and her hair half up. "Wannabe" by Spice Girls was playing while she sang along into a cordless microphone prop and dancing around in front of her mirror. He leaned against the doorframe and couldn't help but start smirking. Delilah was really into it, he wondered if he should say something or keep watching. Like Carl, she still had traces of youthful innocence within her that could come out at any possible time. She spun around, not realizing that Rick was standing there, and shrieked when she saw him.

"Rick!" Delilah was both surprised to see Rick and became embarrassed when she realized he was probably watching her by the smirk on his face. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough. Having fun?" Rick eyed her up and down. She was a true hottie, especially in this outfit. The pants clung perfectly to her hyperextension legs, with the shoes making them more shapely. The vest had a deep V-neck that showed off her beautiful breasts and complimented her long, bare torso. He didn't notice that she was wearing a dangling belly button ring, pink, blue, platinum blonde leopard print, and white multi colored rhinestoned clip in hair extensions, and some kind of sparkly bra top underneath the vest. "You have your belly button pierced?"

Delilah was well aware that he was checking her out, and it made her excited, but also made her blush a little. "Oh, no, I don't. It's a fake." She took it out to show him and put it back in as she turned the stereo off. "What's going on?"

He forced himself to tear his eyes away from her body. "Glenn and Maggie are on their way back with Beth and Daryl."

Her face lit up. "What? You mean we did it?"

"Yep. Everybody is going to be together again, all thanks to you."

She was shocked but could feel her happiness levels rising up and her eyes sting. "Oh, my gosh! This is unbelievable!" Delilah ran up and hugged Rick, which made him smile.

"No, it's not. You set out to make it happen and it did, because you were determined." He couldn't help but wonder if it weren't for Delilah, would they have ever been reunited? It was something he didn't like to think about, and he didn't ever need to question it for a second time as long as he lived.

"Hey, don't credit me entirely. I had a lot of help along the way, we all did it together."

Rick smiled at how she wanted to give credit to all involved. "Yes, teamwork definitely helped. They'll be here in twenty minutes, I already told Madison to spread the word to everybody else. There's something else I wanted to discuss with you."

"Yes?" Delilah silently gulped, a little worried. What did he possibly have to discuss with her?

"After Beth and Daryl settle in and the excitement wears off, I think we should sit Carl down tonight and tell him about us."

If she was happy earlier, she was overjoyed now. This day couldn't get any better. Rick really was serious about her, it was more than sex, and now he wanted to make them official. "Really? I think the timing couldn't be any better. Oh, Rick. I'm on Cloud Nine right now! I-" Delilah's smile faded a bit, she had almost slipped up and told him those three little words. Luckily, he didn't seem to notice.

"So am I. What were you going to say?" Free from worry that she hadn't spit it out, something else came to mind that Delilah was sure would be pulled off perfectly. Rick saw that familiar sexy glint in her eyes. "Uh-oh. I can already hear the wheels turning…"

"Well, Sheriff." Delilah wrapped her arms around his neck. "How much time do we have again until they get here?" Her face broke out into the sexy grin that showed her deep dimples and matched the glint in her eyes.

"Uh, like a little less than twenty minutes, maybe fifteen? They said they were halfway back. What did you have in mind?" Her sexual vigor was an exciting challenge for him, Delilah was almost always in the mood. Rick was getting more sex in the past almost two weeks than he had in the last few years, if not ever.

"I was thinking that you deserve a victory lap dance." Delilah had been working on a new number to teach the girls and wanted to try it out on Rick, whose face started getting a little red.

"Y-you don't have to do that."

"Why not? I want to. How come you're acting so shy? It's not like you haven't seen me naked _multiple times_." She smirked and kissed his cheek, but figured out where the sudden timidity was coming from as he looked down. "You've never had a lap dance before, have you? Don't lie."

He sighed, knowing there was no denying it. "No, I've never had a lap dance, just like I never got road head, either. I almost did, at my bachelor party, but Shane took all the girls. I didn't really care and the thought of getting one never crossed my mind until right now." Only upon meeting Delilah had Rick realized all the spontaneous sexual happenings of adulthood that he hadn't experienced and always wanted to.

His awkwardness was kind of sweet, they both continued to surprise each other every day. Delilah lifted his chin up, making him look into her eyes. "You're so adorable. It's ok, don't be embarrassed. I'm glad I'm your first." She gave him a light kiss and guided him by the hand before sitting him down on the edge of her bed, leaning back on his palms. "Relax. I know you're going to enjoy this." Delilah winked, putting Rick at ease as he watched her walk over to the stereo. She always went out of her way to make him comfortable and alleviate the doubts he had, and she didn't mind, either. If anything, it made him more genuine.

After skipping a couple songs, she stood in front of him and shook her hips back and forth in sync to the beginning drum beats of "Harder to Breathe" by Maroon 5. Delilah swayed erotically to the rhythm of the music, arching her back, undulating her hips, she could easily be mistaken for a high class exotic dancer with her movements. Rick was getting very turned on watching her move and shake her body, his desire increasing the more Delilah danced. This girl was so many things, but her sex appeal never ceased to leave him wanting to overindulge. The song's chorus hit, she spun around with her back facing him, wrapping an arm around his neck and moving her body like a wave. Delilah could feel him getting harder every time her ass moved against his crotch, and what she wouldn't give to see the look in his eyes. The thought of his throbbing erection in her mouth was enough to turn Delilah on. Everything about Rick was just what the doctor ordered. His taste, his touch, the way he felt against her now, she couldn't get enough of him.

As the chorus was coming to an end, she grabbed onto his thighs and slid back and forth until she was down on the floor. She turned around and put her hands on his knees, standing up sexily, sticking her butt up first and flung her long brown hair in his face as she raised her upper body up and finally caught a glance of his expression.

Rick was both dazed and captivated, which only boosted her confidence. Delilah started slowly unbuttoning her vest as she continued to move to the music until she got to the last one and ripped the vest open as the lyric "Do ya like I did!" played and had to do everything not to smirk at the look on Rick's face when he saw her top. It was a bra that crisscrossed underneath her breasts and wrapped around her back with little triangle cutouts on the side. The top was completely covered in rhinestones, it was practically a prism, a superb one at that. It made him think of The Fantasy Bra from the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show that Lori and her friend Paula would go to every year, she always came back home raving about how exquisite it was for almost a week. On Delilah, this top looked spectacular, and all he could think about was ripping it off his very own Victoria's Secret Angel.

The chorus picked up again and she straddled Rick, rolling her hips in circles, grinding on him as she look seductively into his awestruck gaze. He groaned at the feel of her on him and gripped the bed comforter to the point of white knuckling, trying not to thrust into her. The alpha male within had awaken, animalistic instincts wanting to pounce, to make the racy thoughts of his mind into realities. He was man, she was woman, and together, they could recreate the sounds of the jungle with the passions ignited. The song was right, it was getting harder and harder to breathe.

Delilah loved the way he looked up at her as if she were God's gift to the universe. He didn't even know how much he made her feel worthy and desired, as she for him, nothing could be better than this. She knew he was trying to restrain himself, that he wanted to enjoy the lap dance, but she also knew that he needed more, which he did. Rick needed to taste her strawberry lips on his, to graze her peach blossom mellifluous skin with his fingertips, to be inside her tightness once again. All of this was proving that sexual cravings were both the best _and _the worst kind. Delilah grabbed his right hand from the comforter and rested it on her hip to keep them balanced, and took his left hand and it set on her stomach.

_Touch Me._ Her gaze spoke to him, and she glided his hand back and forth slowly, from her pelvis and stomach to both breasts, finally resting it on her heartbeat, feeling her excitement, before doing something totally unexpected. Delilah lifted Rick's hand from her chest and held it up, she spread out his fingers and stuck the longest one, the middle one, in her mouth. She never took her eyes off of his as she deep throated his finger. That bit of contact was enough to make him shudder and hit his highest point. Rick's anatomical fireworks had detonated. The sexual wolf was unleashed, on the prowl, and Delilah was his prey. All he wanted was to immediately ravage her with his entire carnal yearning.

As soon as she took his finger out of her mouth with a loud "POP!" sound, Rick put his hand on the back of her head, pulling her in for their lips to unite in a sizzling kiss, making Delilah moan in his mouth and wetness pool between her legs. She had no idea what came over him, but she knew that she liked it. His hand traveled down from her head to the middle of her back, his other hand latching itself onto her ass so hard that she could feel it through her leather pants, her hands landing on his face, kissing him back with the same fire. The heavy pants and dark guitar solo in the last minute and a half of the song were the perfect soundtrack. Rick broke the kiss.

"Delilah, you have no idea what you do to me, do you?"

He let go and thrust himself into her as he started kissing Delilah's neck, biting under her jaw, knowing it was one of her sensitive spots, making her buck her hips into him and gasp.

"No… Yes… No… I don't. Ahh, Rick. You turn me on more than any man I've ever met in my life." Delilah moaned, running her fingers through his hair before tugging his mouth away from her neck and back on her lips, furiously kissing, their tongues dueling in the other's mouth.

They weren't going anywhere right now, and would most likely be finished before Beth and Daryl arrived, they were too wrapped up with one another, and wanting to take the moment further. The haze of lust had once again filled the room. Unfortunately, with the sound of a single name, fate had other plans for them.

"_**Dad?!"**_

_**OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! HOW THE HELL DID CARL FIND OUT?! WHAT DID WE THINK OF THIS CHAPTER? DARYL AND BETH WILL FINALLY APPEAR IN THE NEXT CHAPTER, AS WELL AS CARL'S REACTION. THE STORY IS ABOUT TO GET VERY DRAMATIC AND INTENSE WITH LOTS OF ACTION! CHAPTER 14 COMING SOON!**_

_**BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE STORY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**_

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!**_


	14. ChapterFourteen:Skeletons inthe Cupboard

**Hello world and my wonderful readers! How is everybody doing? I was going to wait and post this chapter until tomorrow or this weekend, but I'm once again not having the best day and decided to post it now. Plus, it's Walking Dead Wednesday! :)**

**I'm happy to announce that Bethyl is FINALLY in the story, so I hope all the Daryl fans are ready! **

**AGAIN, ****What would be the point of FanFiction if some of the characters always resembled how they were on the shows? If you don't like my story or have a problem with my writing style, then don't bother reading it.**

**Thank you very much for the reviews so far! I hope to reach 100 or more. If anybody has any ideas for the story or original characters, feel free to message me! I would love to hear them. Thanks to both SilverSun09, and Hey01ig, two of my FanFiction best friends! They helped me with this chapter and story, and are both so talented and awesome, you rock! Thanks again for everything. :) Be sure to check out their work, people!**

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE OR JELLY BELLY. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), DAVID KLEIN AND THE JELLY BELLY COMPANY, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.**_

_**Chapter Fourteen: Skeletons in the Cupboard **_

_**They weren't going anywhere right now, and would most likely be finished before Beth and Daryl arrived, they were too wrapped up with one another, and wanting to take the moment further. The haze of lust had once again filled the room. Unfortunately, with the sound of a single name, fate had other plans for them. **_

"_**Dad?!"**_

Rick and Delilah froze, praying it wasn't who they thought it was, but it was unavoidable. They spun their heads around and saw Carl standing in the doorway, totally stiff with a look of horror on his face. He had heard about Beth and Daryl being found and wanted to know when they would be coming. After looking all over for his dad, he figured Rick was back at Home Base. When he walked up the stairs, he had heard music coming from Delilah's room, followed by moaning. Carl thought he heard a voice that sounded like his dad, but shook it off until he heard Delilah moaning something about never being as turned on by another man as she was with him. He was hoping that maybe she was just using a vibrator or something, but his curiosity was piqued, and the door was open. What he saw knocked the wind out of him: Delilah, _his fantasy girl_, straddling and making out with Rick, _**his own father**_, who was groping her butt. Carl didn't have a choice but to interrupt them, and now he almost wish that he hadn't, because this was a bad dream come true.

"CARL!" Delilah jumped off of Rick, almost falling back. Carl took in everything. Delilah's revealing outfit that perfectly accentuated her slammin' body, Rick's disheveled hair and shirt, the messed up bed comforter. Fear preventing him from having the confusing yet inevitable boner, all he could do was stare. Delilah turned off the stereo as Rick got up from the bed. They were all hit with alarming anxiety, this was the last way that Rick and Delilah had wanted Carl to find out. Both of their brains were swimming with dozens of explanations but not being able to come up with a solid one. Judging by the look on his face, they didn't know if he was going to scream or cry, he kept looking back and forth between the two of them, but finally left the room.

"Shit! Carl!" Rick ran after him, but turned to Delilah as he walked out. "Why didn't you have the door closed?" Neither one of them had realized that the door was open, but it made Delilah's mouth agape. How could he ask that?

"Me?! You were the one that opened it, why didn't you close it? Just go after him, hurry!" She watched him walk out, mumbling curses under her breath and kicked the wall in aggravation. "Fuck!" This wasn't fair, why did this have to happen?

"Carl! Carl, get back here! We have to talk!" Rick chased Carl, who was almost to his room and didn't want to bother with his dad.

"I don't want to listen to anything you have to say, I'll just be hearing a bunch of bullshit lies!" He opened the door, but Rick had picked up the pace, grabbing him by the shoulders and turning him around so they were eye to eye.

"No, you won't! Delilah and I are more than friends, we were going to tell you tonight after Beth and Daryl got here. You weren't supposed to find out like this. I'm so sorry, we both are." He looked into his son's eyes sincerely, it killed him that things had gotten out of hand to this point.

"How long?" Carl still had a furious glare on his face. Even though Rick was telling the truth, none of what he said would suppress the anger.

"Since the first day we got here." That only made it worse, Carl felt the rage bubbling up over the secret relationship. How could his dad do this to him? It didn't matter the age difference, Rick knew Carl liked Delilah and went out with her anyway! They've only been here for two months, did he have sex with Delilah?

"Did you sleep with her?" In a way, that was the only thing he wanted to know, he wasn't going to bother asking if he was in love.

"Carl, that's none of your-"

"Answer me! Did you sleep with her?!"

Rick really didn't want to give him a response, but he knew he had to. He also knew that his son would be crushed. "Yes, Carl. We've slept together."

His confirmation had validated Carl's temper to reach it's full potential and explode. He hauled his fist back and punched Rick in the face, letting out all the fury along with a frustrated roar, and slammed the door in his face, causing Rick to fall backwards onto the floor.

Delilah heard a door slamming, followed by groaning. "Oh, shit!" She stepped out of her room to find Rick on the floor in front of Carl's door. "Rick!" She ran over, kneeling down to him. "What the hell happened?" Delilah got Rick on his feet to find that his lip and nose were bleeding.

"Carl punched me." He massaged his jaw, the impact of the punch had hit him immediately and made him wonder when the hell Carl learned how to throw a punch like that.

Delilah shook her head, visibly upset. "Jesus Christ, the kid is devastated. Come on, we need to get you cleaned up." She started walking back to her room, only to turn around to see Rick banging on the door.

"CA-RL! OPEN THE DOOR!" He kept trying to open the door, but it was locked.

"Rick!" Delilah made her way back to him.

"LEAVE ME ALONE! I HATE YOU!" Carl's words only made Rick angrier.

"CARL ANDREW GRIMES, GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE, NOW! WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS LIKE ADULTS! YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU CLAIM YOURSELF AS!" He didn't even notice Delilah walking back up to him. "IF YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO GET AWAY WITH SOCKING ME IN THE FACE, YOU'RE DEAD WRONG! NO FUCKING WAY IN HELL!"

"RICK!" Delilah grabbed him by the arm, being met with an infuriated glare. "He's angry, he's not going to listen to anything either one of us have to say right now. Let's go, get you cleaned up, deal with Beth and Daryl, give him an hour or two, then we'll come back and talk to him. Ok?"

Rick huffed, exasperated, but Delilah was right. Carl needed a while to cool off. "Fine, you're right. Let's go."

She lead him by the hand back to her room and into the bathroom, sitting him on the edge of the bathtub before rummaging into the cabinets for some Neosporin and a tampon. "Hold still." Delilah unwrapped a tampon and cut it in half, gently sticking the first piece up his nose.

"ARGH!" Rick winced, which made her give him a strange look.

"What? You think I say "ARGH!" when I have to put these in once a month? No, I don't. You took a bullet, having a tampon up your nose for twenty seconds is nothing. Relax." She smiled warmly at him as she stuck a second one in, he didn't even flinch. Rick tried to return the smile, despite his emotions and knowing how ridiculous he looked.

"Sorry. It's killing me that this is how Carl found out, I can't believe he punched me. Where the hell did that come from?" He was still mad that Carl punched him, but he knew there must have been a million thoughts and emotions running through his son. Anger, sadness, confusion, even betrayal.

Delilah heavily sighed as she wiped the blood off his lip, feeling disheartened about the whole event. After everything that had transpired for the two of them, Carl didn't deserve this. "I know, this was not how I wanted him to find out, either. He had a furious adrenaline rush, that's where it came from. Like those moms that lift cars off of babies."

Rick smirked at her as she rubbed Neosporin on his lip. "I don't think he'd go that far."

"They didn't either, but that rush makes you do crazy things. Think about it for a second: He just walked in on his dream girl giving his dad a lap dance, he's a teenager, things are confusing and weird. He had an impulse, but it wasn't right." Delilah leaned in and laced her fingers around the back of his neck, crouching on her knees and looking him in the eye, both of them having the same sadness. "I'm so sorry, Rick. If this is too much for you, for Carl's sake, I understand." It killed her to say that, she didn't want to let Rick go, but Delilah was thinking of Carl and his feelings. Maybe things were supposed to be short lived between them, and the thought made her break eye contact, staring down at the linoleum. Rick looked at her, confused.

"What are you talking about?" Did she really want to end their relationship because of Carl? Before this, things were going so well, Delilah couldn't be serious.

"You know what I'm talking about." She still couldn't look at him, and he lifted her chin, their eyes meeting.

"Delilah, no. Don't think like that. I know you may feel it's the right decision, but this isn't a reason to call things off. Carl is just angry right now, we're going to do like you said, give him some time to chill out, then talk things out properly. I think he's angrier with me than you. Please, don't worry yourself. Remember what I said that one day? We're gonna get through whatever hurdles come our way, and we're gonna do it together. Don't push me away, because I don't want to let you go."

He gave her a hopeful smile, knowing she only said this for Carl's sake, but sometimes, you have to think of your own happiness as well. They made each other happy, why terminate something wonderful over a speed bump?

Delilah smiled at his reassurance and it made his heart flutter a bit. "Delilah, I-" _Oh, crap! Not now! _

"Yes?"

Now his heartbeat was really speeding up, again. _I need a quick save!_ "I meant every word I said."

She nodded and leaned in. "I know, and I feel the same."

Their lips connected in a soft kiss for a brief moment, only to be interrupted mb Madison skipping into the room, humming, and looked over to see her stroll up to the doorway.

"Deli- Oh, my lord!" She stared at them, her jaw down to the floor, watching Delilah and Rick, their faces inches away from each other with a not too worried look, smirking when she saw tampons up Rick's nose. "Should I even bother asking?"

Rick leaned into Delilah's ear. "Michonne and now Carl already know, might as well fill everybody else in."

She nodded and turned back to Madison, not even knowing what kind of reaction to except from her, or any of the others for that matter. "Yes, Madison. This is _exactly _what it looks like." They watched Madison's mouth close and turn up in a wicked grin.

"Norman Bates in a Dior gown, I knew it, I knew it! I knew it since the moment you two met that there was a spark. I don't need to ask, I already know that you've gotten some Oo ee oo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang, oo ee oo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang!" She started doing a jig as she sang, which only made Rick and Delilah roll their eyes but still chuckle.

"Got that out of your system, Maddie? Now's not the best time to be messing around. Carl walked in on me giving Rick a lap dance and punched him in the face. He's livid."

Madison gasped as she looked at Rick's face. "Oh, my president's men! Little Car-Car got you good! I'm surprised how such a scrawny kid could pack on a punch like that!"

Delilah scoffed. "Don't add insult to injury, please. What's going on?"

"My apologies. Gleggie just got here a few minutes ago, they're introducing Beth and Daryl to the others, we're all waiting on you."

"Shit! They got here early." Rick mumbled, pulling the tampons out of his nose and stood up as he threw them in the trash. Delilah joined him.

"Alright. We'll be down right behind you. Whatever you do, _do not _say a word to anybody else. Promise us?" Although Delilah knew she could trust Madison, the cowgirl had a tendency to be unpredictable. She gave Delilah a nod and a calm smile.

"Lila Loo, _of course _you can trust me. I'd carry it to my grave, my lips are sealed. Lucifie himself couldn't beat it out of me. Come on, you've gotta see this guy, he's the definition of hick hottie!" Madison skipped off, cackling to herself. Delilah walked out of the bathroom and picked up her vest, putting it on.

"Are you sure you should wear that, Delilah? It's kind of revealing." Rick's naturally overprotective instincts kicked in, he didn't want Delilah to be prancing around in that outfit, unless it was for his pleasure only. She turned around, buttoning up the vest on the bottom.

"Don't worry about it, Rick. It's better with the vest on, you know I'm one to mix it up. Besides, Madison's definition of hot drastically contrasts from mine." They smiled at each other, glad some of the tension had dwindled a bit, both hoping things would be better in a couple hours.

"I'll take your word for it. Let's go."

_**JELLBANY PARKING LOT, A COUPLE MINUTES LATER**_

Delilah and Rick walked out of Home Base to find everybody standing in front of Leisure Zone, being introduced to the two new members by Maggie and Glenn. Delilah couldn't really see them because of the crowd. It was sunny with a few dark clouds threatening to fog the sky. As they walked closer, they were hoping that their rattled aura wasn't too obvious of a tell, they tried to focus on the positive of having everybody back again.

"I'm really excited to meet Beth and Daryl. Do you think they'll fit in?

He nodded. "Beth will, absolutely. She's very friendly and excellent with kids. Daryl, on the other hand, is a rebel, but he's pretty reliable, as you've been told on both of them by Glenn and Maggie."

The last thing she wanted to be doing right now was meet them, but she had to, and hoped it would be a mild distraction from the earlier trauma, they could both use one.

"Sounds like they'll be an excellent addition." Delilah smiled at him and almost tripped over her platforms, stopping in her tracks when she made eye contact with who was obviously Daryl after the crowd went inside, leaving only the four of them with Glenn and Maggie. They both gave each other the same stare, it reminded her of the scene in _The Godfather _when Michael Corleone and Appalonia see each other for the first time in Italy, both awestruck with one another.

He was a little taller than Rick, with lightly tanned skin, messy dark brown hair in his face that almost covered his beady blue eyes, he was wearing brown boots, ripped dark blue jeans, and a blue and green flannel shirt with the sleeves ripped off and the most gorgeously muscular arms she had ever seen on a man before. Madison was right, he _was _a hick hottie. A pure white trailer trash redneck hick hottie. Daryl looked exactly like the boys back home that she was too good for but messed around with anyway. Those boys represented the forbidden fruit, something that was deliciously sinful, only to be indulged in secrecy. Delilah felt her stomach tie up in knots, feeling the same delightful thrill that she did when she would hook up with one of the boys in Simi Valley.

Daryl looked her up and down, assuming that this was the chick Delilah that Glenn and Maggie had been talking about the whole way back. He had to admit that she was quite the looker, a total babe. She looked familiar, but there's no way they had ever met before, since she lived in California before the outbreak. The outfit she was wearing made him think of Nancy Callahan from the _Sin City_ series, but she had the figure for it, especially with her great legs and huge knockers. She also had long brown hair, blue-green eyes, and full lips. Now that he was back with the group, there was no reason to not get some tail, it had been so long, and this was the catch he set his sights on.

Rick didn't even notice that Delilah stopped and continued walking over, immediately hugging Beth and Daryl. Like the day she brought him and Carl to Jellbany, Delilah stayed in the back and watched the reunion. Daryl was still staring at her with "Come fuck me" eyes. It made her feel uncomfortable, but her body language shifted, like she almost wanted it.

She stood in a two o'clock position, popping her left hand on her leaned back left hip, her legs crossed, with an relaxed yet sexy look on her face.

_Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in._

Rick turned around to see Delilah standing there, and motioned her over. He didn't know why she was in that pose and wasn't sure if he should think more of it or not, especially when she almost strutted over, her hand on her hip, like she was trying to impress somebody. He also noticed that everybody else was watching her walk over, and turned back to Beth and Daryl. "You guys, this is-"

"Delilah Daltrey, and you must be Daryl Dixon, Atlanta's Hawkeye." Delilah strutted up and stuck her hand out for Daryl to shake it. Rick noticed that even her tone of voice was different, almost sultry. _What's going on with her? Maybe she's just in another world because of everything that happened. _

Daryl grabbed her hand and shook it, still eyeing her up and down. It was evident in their eye contact that some sort of zap had gone off between them, and he decided he was definitely setting out on a mission to tap that fine ass. "Nice to meet you. I've gotten Robin Hood, but never Hawkeye."

Delilah smiled. "Well, there's a first for everything, isn't there?" She winked at him, which made Rick shake his head in confusion. _Is she flirting with him?! In front of me?!_ _Am I actually jealous? By the look on Daryl's face, he's into her. _

Daryl smirked. "Mmhmm. There is." There was something different with this girl, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he did know he wanted his hands all over her hot little body.

Rick cleared his throat, interrupting them. "This is Beth, Maggie's sister." Delilah looked over to see a blonde haired, blue eyed girl that looked a few years older than the twins and resembled Taylor Swift a little. Her face lit up.

"Beth! I'm thrilled to finally meet you!" Delilah wrapped her arms around Beth, giving the timid girl a huge hug that caught her off guard. She was already uncomfortable with all these new people, not to mention the obvious sexual chemistry between Daryl and Delilah, and now she was hugging her? Beth felt like a little girl compared to Delilah. They looked the same age, but Delilah's body was more developed. She pulled back, smiling.

Delilah seemed genuine, Beth felt like she had met her somewhere before. "Nice to meet you. You look familiar, are you sure this is your first time to the South?"

She nodded. "Yes, and if I knew that Southern gentleman weren't a myth, I would have come out here a lot sooner." Delilah elbowed Rick, who further stiffened when everybody noticed, but also felt a bit relieved that she was setting her sights back on him. "Anyways, welcome to Jellbany! I've heard so much about you both and now that you're here, everybody is reunited again."

"It wouldn't have happened without you, Delilah." Maggie smiled.

"Yeah, you're a hero." Glenn said

"Thanks, but we did it together, don't forget that." Delilah smiled, she was over the moon that Rick's group was together at last.

"Where's Carl?" Beth asked, which made Rick and Delilah tense up. How were they going to explain this?

"Uh, he's not feeling too well and is laying down." He scratched the back of his head nervously, not noticing that Glenn was looking at him.

"Rick, what happened to your face? Your lip is busted and your nose is all swollen."

_Shit. _He thought to himself. _How apparent is all of this?_ "I tripped on the last step and slammed straight into the door at Home Base. Good thing Delilah was there to fix me up." Rick smiled over at her. It seemed totally plausible. She nodded.

"It was nothing, glad I could help." Delilah smiled over at him. Everybody was confused in the sudden change of Delilah's attractions, but they now knew something was going on between her and Rick.

Beth gasped, realizing why Delilah looked so familiar. "Wait! I know who you are now! You're Delilah, Miss Teen California 2009!"

Delilah's smile slightly faded. She didn't think that anybody would ever recognize her from Miss Teen USA that wasn't affiliated with the pageant, she was surprised, but nodded, smiling sheepishly. "Yes, yes I am." She watched the members of Rick's group look over curiously and Beth finally smile.

"I knew I recognized you from somewhere! I remember that pageant! You were my favorite, next to Miss Teen Georgia. Don't you remember, Maggie?" Beth had always wanted to be a beauty queen and would watch all the popular pageants, but she was always too shy to further pursue the dream. That and Hershel never would have allowed it, only her sister knew.

Maggie nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I do. You were in pageants?"

Delilah felt her face flush, she didn't want this to ever be discussed, but it was bound to happen, so she decided to just embrace it. "Yes, I was. I was the first runner-up for the Miss Teen USA 2009 pageant."

The guys all started checking her out, as if her status amongst them had changed now that her former beauty queen days were revealed.

Glenn looked her over. "I could definitely see it. You've got the charisma."

Beth nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "You should have seen her, Glenn. She was phenomenal! Even though I was rooting for Miss Georgia, I was shocked that you didn't win!"

Delilah smiled, suddenly getting a warm feeling over the embarrassment. "Thanks, you weren't the only one that thought that way, but Tammy was pretty good."

She watched Beth scoff. "Miss Indiana? No way, not like you! Your talent blew hers away! You had that incredible dance routine to that Blink-182 song."

"Green Day, actually. It was a ballroom/salsa mash-up to "Give Me Novacaine/She's A Rebel"."

"Sounds fitting." Rick said, making her look over at him and smile.

"It was fantastic, I must have watched it a thousand times. You had that partner, Angelo."

"Oh, I remember him. He was really sexy." Maggie smiled, reminiscing, unaware of Glenn's questioning gaze and Delilah's smile fading once again, but Rick noticed both.

"Is he here, too?"

Delilah had never told anybody at Jellbany about Angelo, it was another one of her dark secrets. "No, he's not. Angelo passed away a couple years ago." She watched Beth's smile change to one of sadness, as did Maggie's.

"Oh, no! I'm so sorry! I had no idea or else I wouldn't have asked."

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it, you didn't know." Daryl's snickering interrupted the moment, making Delilah and the others look over. "What's so funny?"

He smirked, unsure if he should say this, but figured there would be no harm. "I remember you now, too. My brother Merle had a teen fetish, used to make me go on eBay and buy the pageant programs so he could choke the turkey to them. You were a favorite of his." It seemed like only yesterday when Merle would pay him to buy the programs, he'd split the difference and tricked out his motorcycle while Merle spent his time pleasuring himself to the teen beauty queens. Daryl had looked in a few of them and remembered Delilah.

_She was a knock out even back then. _

The others gave Daryl a disgusted look, and Delilah felt awkward. "Uh, thanks. I have a feeling I was probably better off _not _knowing that. Come on, I'll give you guys the grand tour." She motioned and they followed her inside Leisure Zone, at least Daryl's crude memory distracted her a bit from Angelo, but now she knew what the only thing on his mind was, proving that he was _exactly _like the boys of Simi. It made some of the thrill diminish greatly. Rick could tell that something was wrong, her entire demeanor changed at the mention of Angelo. He picked up the pace, catching up to her.

"Are you alright?" She turned to face him, the forlornness evident in her eyes despite trying to hide it with a weak smile.

"I'm fine. I'll tell you about it later, I promise." Delilah walked ahead, leaving him wondering who exactly he was to her and if she was really going to tell him. _Maybe I don't know her as well as I think I do…_

_**WOW! DID ANYBODY SEE THAT REACTION COMING FROM CARL OR DELILAH'S REACTION OVER DARYL! I SENSE THERE'S A SPARK BETWEEN THEM AND THAT RICK IS CATCHING ON! WHAT DID WE THINK OF THIS CHAPTER? WILL RICK LOSE DELILAH TO DARYL? WHO IS ANGELO THAT SHE'S SO SECRETIVE ABOUT? THE STORY IS ABOUT TO GET VERY DRAMATIC AND INTENSE WITH LOTS OF ACTION! CHAPTER FIFTEEN, REPERCUSSIONS, COMING SOON!**_

_**BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE STORY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**_

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!**_


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Repercussions, Part One

**Hello world and my wonderful readers! How is everybody doing? I had such a blast at the _Hot in Cleveland_ taping yesterday with my mom and our friends from Hawaii! It was the first live sitcom taping I've ever been to, and it made me realize just how much I was born to perform! Queen Latifah was the surprise guest star! We got moved down to the front for the last scene, that was bitchen. On the way out after the final bow, my friend Renee and I shouted "We love you, Betty!" to Betty White and she blew us a kiss. Then I shouted "I love you, ladies! You're awesome, rock on!" to Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick, Jane Leeves, and Georgia Engel, they all smiled and waved directly at me, too. After that, Craig Ferguson walked by under the railing and I shouted "I love you, Craig! You rock!" He looked up, smiled, waved, and said "Thank you". I think he got a real kick out of it, he was so thrilled and happy! My grandma is a huge fan of his, and he's super cool, so I did it for her. We were standing on the railing over the set and were the only ones shouting to the cast, plus we were twenty feet away, so it was really directed at me! Lol. **

**I've decided to try an experiment of making shorter chapters so I can update more often. Thanks for the tip, bluecrush611!**

**AGAIN, ****What would be the point of FanFiction if some of the characters always resembled how they were on the shows? If you don't like my story or have a problem with my writing style, then don't bother reading it.**

**Thank you very much for the reviews so far! I hope to reach 100 or more. If anybody has any ideas for the story or original characters, feel free to message me! I would love to hear them. Thanks to both SilverSun09, and Hey01ig, two of my FanFiction best friends! They helped me with this chapter and story, and are both so talented and awesome, you rock! Thanks again for everything. :) Be sure to check out their work, people!**

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE OR JELLY BELLY. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), DAVID KLEIN AND THE JELLY BELLY COMPANY, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.**_

_**Chapter Fifteen: Repercussions, Part One**_

_**Rick could tell that something was wrong, her entire demeanor changed at the mention of Angelo. He picked up the pace, catching up to her. **_

"_**Are you alright?" She turned to face him, the forlornness evident in her eyes despite trying to hide it with a weak smile. **_

"_**I'm fine. I'll tell you about it later, I promise." Delilah walked ahead, leaving him wondering who exactly he was to her and if she was really going to tell him. Maybe I don't know her as well as I think I do… **_

_**HOME BASE, AN HOUR LATER**_

The group was at the tail end of the tour. Like the others upon their arrival, Beth and Daryl were fascinated with Jellbany and all it's amenities, it was as close as one could get to how the real word used to be. They were both overjoyed to see Judith alive and well, seeing Daryl hold the baby and call her "Lil' Asskicker" surprisingly softened Delilah's first impression of him a bit. Beth was excited to be around all the kids again, especially the new ones. They were finally in the lobby of Home Base after the tour was finished. Delilah gave Beth the room next to Maggie and Daryl the room across the hall next to Michonne. They didn't even question Carl blaring "Helter Skelter" from his room.

"Well, that's Jellbany. Make yourself at home. The pilot light is lit, all showers under ten minutes. Maggie and Glenn will take you back to Inventory Range to get what ever you need, there's a massive stockpile as you saw." They all smiled, finally feeling relaxed that things would resume normalcy amongst them. All except Daryl, there was something on his mind that needed to be discussed.

"Delilah, thank you so much for everything. I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate it." To Beth, Delilah was the representation of what she had always dreamed of being, a drop dead gorgeous beauty queen with charisma that shined and touched everybody's lives. She knew she was capable of that, but being reserved was like a second nature. Now that they were back together, maybe things could change. Delilah smiled, Beth had so much potential, she definitely wanted to take her under her wing.

"It's my pleasure, I'm just glad that you're all together again. I'll see you guys at Leisure Zone in a while." They were about to go their separate ways when Daryl spoke up.

"Delilah, wait."

She turned around. "Yes, Daryl?" Their eyes met, his expression gentle yet serious.

"We need to discuss Carol."

Glenn, Maggie, and Rick all exchanged a glance with her. It hadn't exactly been discussed how they were going to tell him that Carol would not be looked for, but now was as good of time as any. Delilah looked over at Maggie and Glenn. "Gleggie, take Beth to Inventory Range. Rick and I will handle this." They nodded and walked out, Daryl giving them a strange glance as they left. Delilah took a quick look over at Rick, a little worried but calm, knowing this had to be done.

"What's going on?"

Delilah took a deep breath, unsure of what his reaction would be. Rick told her that last time he was annoyed but handled it well, except she had a feeling it would be different now. "We won't be looking for Carol. Rick told me what happened with Karen and David. I'm sorry, I can't have her here."

Daryl could feel himself becoming irritated. "She was trying to help, she just went about it in the wrong way. You gotta give her a chance." He had to plead Carol's case, after everything they've been through together.

Delilah shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I'm not changing my mind. She's an unpredictable flight risk, who knows if she would pull a stunt like that again? I respect your allegiance, but I can't take the chance, Daryl. I have my own group to look after in addition to yours."

The thought of anything happening to any of them made her sick. Delilah was their leader, it was her job to protect the groups, but Daryl wouldn't budge.

"Don't you have a council, like back at the prison? We can take a vote on it."

"There is, but all decisions are ultimately up to Delilah. I banned Carol from the prison for a reason, and it's one that Delilah agrees with. We can't have her here." He could tell at that moment that Rick and Delilah had something else going on besides being allies, and wasn't sure if the bubbling anger was from knowing that he couldn't pursue her or that they were being so close minded.

"What the fuck, Rick? You gonna let this lil' girl decide the fate of one of our own? You're pussy whipped, man."

"Daryl…" To Rick, this was just normal, angry, Daryl, something he was used to and had seen before.

His comment ticked Delilah off, who cut Rick short. "Hey! Don't speak to him like that. This is Jellbany, _not_ the prison. I'm in charge, it's what I say goes, she's not allowed! Whose to say that she wouldn't do the same thing if it were _you,_ huh?" She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. The question presented a bit of a double standard, but he didn't care.

"You don't even know her!"

"I don't need to know her, I know what she did! Tyreese knows, too. If you brought Carol back, he'd kill her! Consider this a good thing, I'm protecting her from what would most likely be certain death. Rick gave her a car with supplies, I'm sure she's lasting, if not with another group."

Daryl shook his head, annoyed at how immovable she was. _This bitch is stubborn. Being nice ain't working. _

"We're all we've got, we're family. You're a fucking stranger who don't know nothing about us! She was abused by her piece of shit husband for years and then she lost her own daughter to this outbreak. Put yourself in her shoes, or maybe you can't because they aren't goddamn $700 designer heels! I thought you would be different, but you're exactly like the rest of those pageant chicks. Spoiled because Mommy and Daddy gave them everything they ever wanted and didn't work for a damn thing in their life, and selfish because all they do is step all over people because they only care about themselves! You don't know the first thing about pain or loss or how to feel."

Whatever credibility Daryl may have earned with her was gone, and now Delilah was seething mad. All of her emotions rose up to the top. Who the hell did this jackass think he was telling her what she did and did not know? Rick could see her brow furrow and grit her teeth, making him worry that she would hit Daryl.

"_You _don't know the first thing about me or anything that I've been through, you've got a lot of fucking nerve assuming you do! My decision is final and nothing will change it. If you don't like it and still feel the need to look for her, you can get the hell out of here, you illiterate redneck asshole!" Delilah spun on her heel and walked away to the stairs.

"Delilah, wait." Rick called out, but she wouldn't come back.

Daryl started menacingly laughing. "I'd rather be a redneck than a spoiled princess bitch, sweetheart!" Delilah slammed the door to the stairs, they could hear her storming up the steps. Rick looked over at Daryl, disgusted at how he spoke to her.

"You were completely out of line and had no right to say any of that, Daryl. Be a little compassionate." There was good in him, but Daryl also had a bit of a stubborn streak.

"Don't let a young pair of tits and ass cloud your judgment, man. I respect that you're finally getting some pussy since Lori died, but you gotta be thinking with your head, not your dick. Carol needs to be here with all of us, we gotta move on and forgive her. We all forgave you when you off'd Shane."

Now he had officially annoyed Rick. Daryl was on a roll today with the things he was saying.

"I didn't have a choice! It was either his life or mine, and he wanted me dead. Carol knew what she was doing, the discussion is over. If you know what's good for you, you'll apologize to Delilah. She stuck her neck out and put her life on the line to get us back together, have some respect and don't be so ungrateful!" He snarled before walking away to the stairs, leaving Daryl by himself in the lobby.

"Forget about the group you've been protecting for almost two years, run after your rebound snatch!" Daryl shook his head in repugnance before leaving Home Base.

_**DELILAH'S ROOM**_

Rick had to check on Delilah, she was so angry when she left, and he couldn't blame her. Daryl was particularly nasty and had gone too far, he'd be lucky if Delilah let him stay after his little spat. Rick walked in to see her rummaging through her drawers and mumbling. She looked up to see him standing there.

"How could you have somebody like that in your group?! He's an absolute prick!"

He sighed heavily. "He's not always like that, he's lost. It doesn't excuse the way he handled things and I told him he better apologize to you."

She huffed, hastily pulling her colored clip in extensions out of her hair and taking the faux belly button ring off. "Pfft, an apology coming from him would be as sincere as an apology coming from Eddie Haskell. He wouldn't apologize if his life depended on it, rude jackass meat that thinks he knows my whole life story. He doesn't know a fucking thing about me!" Delilah grabbed a small plastic mirror off the dresser and threw it against the wall in an rage.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Rick ran over and wrapped his arms around Delilah from behind, attempting to relax her. "Delilah, calm down, please! I'm sorry it happened and for his behavior, I'm on your side with the decision about Carol." He loosened his tight embrace, trying to make it more soothing, and rested his head in the nook of her neck. It seemed to be working a little bit.

"This is one of the reasons why I left Slimy Valley, so I didn't have to deal with white trash hicks like Daryl Dixon, but apparently, they're everywhere!"

"You didn't seem to think he was so white trash an hour ago." Rick mumbled under his breath, not sure if he had meant for that to slip out, even though it had been on his mind since it happened. Delilah turned around, walking out of his embrace and shot him a glare that could kill somebody, making him realize how wrong the timing was.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? You _fuck _me, _not father _me. Remember that." She pointed at him, the glare still on her face.

Rick was stunned by her statement, she had never been that nasty to him before. It was too late to rescind his accusation and there was no going back, he might as well let it out. "That pose you were in, how you sauntered over to him and spoke, you were acting like Jessica Rabbit." Rick hoped that he wasn't coming off as incredibly jealous, but he also felt entitled. Delilah was his.

Her mouth flew open, she was shocked and further downright insulted, but she also knew he was right. She messed up and he was calling her out on it instead of acting like a coward. What she said to him a moment ago was terrible, she was completely in the wrong. Delilah closed her mouth, looking glum. "I don't know what came over me, I guess I was so rattled from what happened earlier that I lost myself for a moment. Being flirtatious has always been part of my problem, but there's really nothing I can say to defend what I did. All I can say is that I'm sorry and it won't happen again. I'm sorry for snapping at you just now, too." Her expression never changed and she seemed genuinely remorseful. Regardless, that wasn't the main thing that was bugging him.

"Why didn't you tell me about Angelo? What else are you hiding from me?"

She looked away, it wasn't that she didn't want to tell him, she didn't want to discuss it at all with anybody, but now her feelings were hurt that he doubted her. "Angelo was my dance partner and my best friend since we were four. He was there for me through thick and thin, a true friend. One day, not too long after Billy and I got engaged, he confessed his undying love to me and I rejected him. There's more, and it's the reason why I've never told anybody." Delilah looked down, it had been so long since she told this story. Rick watched her collect herself. "I realized that I loved him, too. That who I wanted wasn't Billy and that the right guy was in front of me all along. I went over to his house and when I walked in, it was too late, he was already turned and eating his parents. Angelo was my first kill." She finally looked up at him, but there weren't any tears in her eyes, only sorrow. "The fact that I had to kill my best friend in the world and that I was too late to save him has and will haunt me for the rest of my life. I've cried so much that I can't even cry about it anymore, and that's why I didn't tell anybody. I'm sorry that my actions today made you doubt my loyalty and feelings for you, I would never want to do anything to jeopardize what we have. You know more about me than anybody else here. I'm yours, for as long as you want me." It broke her heart that she put them in this position, but she was glad he brought it up. Delilah was to blame, and the fact that he mentioned it only proved how much he cared about her in return.

Rick could feel the sincerity and guilt in her words, he felt like he had a better understanding of her after learning about her first kill. They weren't perfect, and he had a bout of jealousy, but because she owned up to it, it made him forgive Delilah easier. She could have just as easily thrown it back in his face like she tried to at first, but she didn't. Delilah was still maturing, this was one of the downsides of being with somebody her age, but he was willing to move past it, especially with what they shared. Rick surprised Delilah by stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her in a hug.

They stood like that for quite a while, it was as if their woes melted away in each others arms, the safe feeling Delilah always got whenever they were together came flooding back. She better not do anything else to screw this up.

"I understand." Rick brought her even closer to him, inhaling her peach blossom and Dolce and Gabanna Light Blue scent. "You never forget your first kill, I remember mine. It was a young girl's torso and I felt so bad, I actually apologized before pulling the trigger. Don't feel guilty, Delilah. You put Angelo out of his misery. As far as Daryl goes, I think you learned your lesson from his little outburst." They both had a short laugh over that. He pulled back, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear, looking into her lovely doe eyes. "Everything I said earlier still stands."

Delilah smiled back at him, relieved. "Same here." She gave him a quick peck before speaking again. For their first disagreement, things had ended pretty well. "We should talk to Carl, it's been almost two hours. Are you ready?"

Rick hesitated, but found himself nodding. Better now than later, they had to hit it head on. "Yes, I am."

_**AWWW! THEY MADE UP! WILL THINGS BE SMOOTH SAILING FOR RICK AND DELILAH OR WILL THEY SHORTLY BE GOING TO HELL? WILL DARYL EVER GET CAROL BACK INTO THE GROUP'S GOOD GRACES? CHAPTER SIXTEEN: REPERCUSSIONS, PART TWO, COMING SOON!**_

_**BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE STORY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**_

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!**_


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Repercussions, Part Two

**Hello world and my wonderful readers! How is everybody doing? Since this chapter was already half written, I decided to just post it today! That and it's Walking Dead Sunday! YAY! I will most likely be updating again on Wednesday. **

**I've decided to try an experiment of making shorter chapters so I can update more often. Thanks for the tip, bluecrush611!**

**This chapter is actually kind of sad in my opinion, but still heartfelt and eye opening. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE BE SURE TO REVIEW BOTH CHAPTER FIFTEEN AND SIXTEEN! THANK YOU! IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED! :)**

**AGAIN, ****What would be the point of FanFiction if some of the characters always resembled how they were on the shows? If you don't like my story or have a problem with my writing style, then don't bother reading it.**

**Thank you very much for the reviews so far! I hope to reach 100 or more. If anybody has any ideas for the story or original characters, feel free to message me! I would love to hear them. Thanks to both SilverSun09, and Hey01ig, two of my FanFiction best friends! They helped me with this chapter and story, and are both so talented and awesome, you rock! Thanks again for everything. :) Be sure to check out their work, people!**

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE OR JELLY BELLY. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), DAVID KLEIN AND THE JELLY BELLY COMPANY, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.**_

_**Chapter Sixteen: Repercussions, Part Two **_

_**Delilah smiled back at him, relieved. "Same here." She gave him a quick peck before speaking again. For their first disagreement, things had ended pretty well. "We should talk to Carl, it's been almost two hours. Are you ready?" **_

_**Rick hesitated, but found himself nodding. Better now than later, they had to hit it head on. "Yes, I am." **_

_**TEN MINUTES LATER**_

Rick and Delilah were outside Carl's door. He had turned the music off some time before they arrived, but found the door was still locked. Delilah knocked softly. "Carl? It's Delilah. Your dad and I want to talk to you." No answer.

"Maybe he's asleep, we should come back later."

Delilah shook her head. "No, he's ignoring us. We can't push this back any longer, Rick. You know I'm right."

He sighed, dreading this conversation, but knew it had to be done. "Yes, you are. Let's do it."

She pulled out a huge ring of keys and unlocked the door. They stepped inside to find Carl on his bed reading a Spiderman comic, not even looking up. "Hey, Carl."

Carl must not have realized that they walked in, because he was surprised to see them. "How did you get in here? I locked all the doors."

Delilah sat down. "You can't outsmart me, kid. Besides, that's one of the perks of being in charge, having the set of master keys to every single room here." She spun around the giant key ring before pulling a bag of Jelly Bellies out of her pocket. "Want some?" Before leaving, Delilah had changed into a red and white two layered shirt with jeans and her favorite white sneakers.

He gave her an odd look before shaking his head and glaring. "No, thanks. I'm not a little kid, don't try to bribe me with candy." Carl went back to reading his comic book. The discussion they wanted to have with him was a moot point, he knew everything and they were wasting their time.

Delilah looked a little shocked. "I'm not, it helped me whenever times were tough, it's why I always have a secret stash on me." She leaned into Rick. "You were right, that didn't work."

"I told you." He whispered back, to which she innocently shrugged.

"Hey, I've never been in this position before, I'm a newbie. You go first, you're more experienced, then I'll cut in whatever. I believe in you, Rick. Do it for us." She gave him a comforting smile and hopped up on top of the desk, opening the bag of Jelly Bellies and began quietly munching on a few as Rick leaned against the wall next to her. Delilah was right, he had to do it for them.

"Carl, I apologize again that you had to find out like this, you need to believe us when we tell you that it wasn't how we wanted you to find out." Carl continued reading the comic book, not even acknowledging Rick, which made him talk more. "We were getting to know one another better and didn't know where it would go, except the more time we spent together, the more we liked each other and things got serious. The plan was to sit you down and tell you about us after everybody in the group was found."

"Why keep it a secret?" Carl finally spoke up.

"For the reason that neither one of us knew how serious things would turn out, we didn't need it to be a spectacle, considering this is my first relationship since your mother passed away."

"You don't love Mom anymore, do you?"

Rick heavily sighed. "Of course I love your mother, I'll always love her for as long as I live. Except she's gone, we've both grieved long enough and we have to move forward. Delilah helped me do that. You didn't expect me to be single forever, did you?"

This made any after school special like a damn cakewalk. Delilah decided it was time to interject.

"Carl, I really like your dad and I like being with him. Haven't you noticed that he's changed in the past couple of months? If I'm the one that makes him happy, shouldn't that make you happy, too?"

They watched Carl throw down the comic book and look at her angrily.

"Bullshit, Delilah! You both have been lying to all of us. Now I know that you _did_ teach Judith to call you "Mommy". I see right through you. You're one of those "unlucky in love" women who can't find the right guy to have a family with, so you have to sweep in and take somebody else's. This isn't your family to take!"

Delilah looked over at Rick, trying not to smirk, but could see he was annoyed, and she turned back to Carl. "That is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard and entirely untrue! Where you came up with that, I don't know, but I can tell you this. I genuinely care about the three of you. Very, very, much. You're my friend, I think of you as a little brother."

"You're also old enough to know what happens when two people meet and have a connection, they spend time together and establish a relationship, which is what we did." Rick knew Carl was mad, but he needed to be more mature about all this.

Delilah nodded. "He's right. I know it's hard for you to see your dad with somebody else, that's absolutely understandable. I had the same feelings when my mom started dating again after my dad died, but in the end, I wanted her to be happy."

Carl wasn't letting anything either one of them were saying sink in, he was too angry. "We're not friends anymore! You're not my friend or my sister! You're just the whore that fucked my dad!"

Her mouth went slightly agape, but for Rick, it was the last straw.

"CA-RL! WATCH YOUR MOUTH! Don't you talk to her like that!" He hadn't gotten this angry at Carl since they had escaped the prison, when Carl took all the losses out on him. Delilah had never seen Rick this heated before, it was both intense and terrifying. He pushed off from the wall, trying to proceed over to Carl, but she hopped off the desk and blocked him with her arm.

"No, it's ok, Rick." Delilah lowered her voice. "Calm down, I have an idea." She turned back to a still fuming Carl and walked over to the edge of his bed, sitting down. "Let it out, tell me things that I haven't heard a thousand times already, like that I'm a skanky slut whore and a bitch, which I'm not. Unlike my sister that screwed every guy without a condom from Simi Valley to San Francisco, I've only slept with three, your father included, but I know that you're infuriated. You can't hold it in or it's gonna fester up and eat you alive. I care about you too damn much to let that happen. Get it off your chest. Do anything you have to do that's not physically lashing out at another person. Yell, scream, throw something, whatever it is, but don't hit your dad. He didn't do anything wrong, this was something we agreed on for everybody's best interest. Yours, mine, his."

She didn't like his words, but she understood his anger and prepared herself for what was next to come. Rick thought this was a little unconventional, but he decided to just go with the flow. Carl glared over at him.

"How could you do that to me? You knew I liked her first, Dad!" That was probably what was bothering Carl the most. He knew his dad would move on eventually and could have gotten anybody he wanted, but why Delilah?

Rick couldn't help but roll his eyes at him. "Carl, get realistic. I know you well enough that you knew nothing would happen, that it was only a crush."

"Doesn't matter, you still knew how I felt. Delilah's closer to my age than yours!"

"That's something I'm overlooking. Before Delilah found us and we discovered Judith was still alive, I was in darkness, watching the world go by. I had to move on, because I was letting the loss consume me. I was practically a walker, empty inside and going through the motions. It's no way to live, and I see it in you, too. We have to keep on living, that's what Mom would want for us. If this were the world we used to live in, it's been long enough that it's appropriate for me to get back into dating. Delilah brought me back to life. Without her, I'd still be the same miserable I was two months ago. I'm happier than I've been since I found you and your mom in Atlanta."

Delilah turned around and looked at him smiling warmly at her. It made her want to cry tears of happiness at how emotive his words and feelings were, but also tears of frustration from having to restrain her feelings, she was falling more in love with him. She turned back to Carl, who was looking at a Pokemon poster on the wall.

"Nobody will ever replace your mother. Not me or whomever your dad ends up with, and I'm not trying to, either. Your father loves you and your sister more than anything in this world, there won't be a single thing or person that would ever change that, he would sacrifice his own life to save one of yours in a second. Do you realize how lucky you are, Carl? I didn't have that. Something bad happened to me when I was a few years older than Judith and again when I was not much younger than you are now, and my father couldn't have given a damn. My dad was a rotten malicious sonofabitch. He abused me and my mom on an almost daily basis, he even tried to kill her. We all go through hardships in our journey, but at the end of the day, we have to think of our own happiness as well as others. Who I met two months ago is not the same kid you are now, Carl. You've also changed, you're finally able to be a kid and not have to have the weight of the world on your shoulders like the rest of us. Plus, your relationship with your dad is stronger, too. I know you're angry with him now, but please think this through rationally. You both deserve to be happy."

This was the most Delilah had ever revealed to Carl about her past, but she felt it was necessary to open his eyes about the situation. After everything that happened, he needed to see the bigger picture, which was that his dad had found somebody new. Carl was still looking at the poster after having taken all of Delilah's words in. He knew she was right, but he was still annoyed. The whole discovery of Rick and Delilah made it set in that Lori was further gone.

"I know, and I know I have to accept whatever my dad wants to do, even if I don't like it. What I don't know is if I'll ever get used to my sister thinking somebody else is her mother. The only thing I have left of my mom is Judith, and she'll never get the opportunity to know her like I did! How she acted or spoke, none of that! There's not even a picture anymore. Lori Sarah Campbell Grimes was our mother, _you aren't_!" Carl could no longer hold back, and he started crying, releasing all his frustrations. Rick walked over, putting his hand on his son's shoulder in an effort to soothe him, only for Carl to flinch. He looked over at Delilah, pained with hopelessness and distress.

The tension in the air was palpable, it crushed Delilah. In a way, they were similar, they didn't have their mothers. Except for all she knew, Regina could still be alive somewhere. Carl was with Lori up until her last breath, and he was right about something. There were no longer any physical mementos of her for him or Judith to inherit. Suddenly, a thought came to her mind, one that would hopefully make things a little bit easier in the long run. Delilah walked around to the other side of the bed and grabbed Carl's shoulders, turning him to face her.

"Buddy, look at me."

"No, don't try to comfort me, I don't want to hear it!" He shook his head, crying harder and trying to turn away, but she wasn't giving up.

"Please, just hear me out! I have an idea."

After another moment of crying, he finally stopped, allowing her to speak. Delilah took a deep breath and spoke slowly.

"Carl, what if you guys were still able to have something of your mother?" He looked up at her, confused, as did Rick.

"Huh? What do you mean, how?"

Delilah's next statement was something that made both Rick and Carl's eyes go wide in fear.

"I'll go to the prison and get the picture for you."

_**OMG OMG OMG OMG! IS DELILAH REALLY GOING TO RISK HER LIFE TO GET THE PICTURE?! WILL RICK AND CARL ALLOW IT?! WHAT DID WE THINK OF THIS CHAPTER? CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: SHE'S LEAVING HOME, WILL BE COMING SOON!**_

_**BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE STORY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**_

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!**_


	17. Chapter Seventeen: She's Leaving Home

**Hello world and my wonderful readers! How is everybody doing? Apart from being Walking Dead Wednesday, today, March 19th, is the one year anniversary of one of my best friend's death. Sam was and always be an angel, now my guardian angel, as well as being one of my biggest fans and supporters. This chapter is for him. I miss you every day, buddy. **

**This chapter was very sad to write in my opinion, but there will be lots of action in the next chapter!**

**AGAIN, ****What would be the point of FanFiction if some of the characters always resembled how they were on the shows? If you don't like my story or have a problem with my writing style, then don't bother reading it.**

**Thank you very much for the reviews so far! I hope to reach 100 or more. If anybody has any ideas for the story or original characters, feel free to message me! I would love to hear them. Thanks to both SilverSun09, and Hey01ig, two of my FanFiction best friends! They helped me with this chapter and story, and are both so talented and awesome, you rock! Thanks again for everything. :) Be sure to check out their work, people!**

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE, JELLY BELLY, SHE'S LEAVING HOME, DON'T LET ME BE THE LAST TO KNOW, OR TAKE MY BREATH AWAY. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), DAVID KLEIN AND THE JELLY BELLY COMPANY, THE BEATLES, BRITNEY SPEARS, AND BERLIN, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.**_

_**Chapter Seventeen: She's Leaving Home**_

_**"Carl, what if you guys were still able to have something of your mother?" He looked up at her, confused, as did Rick.**_

"_**Huh? What do you mean, how?" **_

_**Delilah's next statement was something that made both Rick and Carl's eyes go wide in fear. **_

"_**I'll go to the prison and get the picture for you."**_

"What?" Both the boys said at the same time, they thought they were hearing things.

"Michonne told me how you got the family picture from that barbeque joint, so that Judith would know what her mother looked like. You left it at the prison, I'll get it for you guys, it's only an hour away."

"Yeah, right. Don't tell me that, it's impossible and probably a fib." Even though Carl wanted the picture, he knew that it wasn't going to happen.

"Delilah, no. It's too dangerous and out of the question. Did you forget that it's now overrun with walkers?" The thought of how the prison looked now gave him chills, he wouldn't allow Delilah to risk her life over a picture. She looked over at Rick, sensing his worry.

"No, I didn't forget it, but I'm going anyway." Delilah resumed eye contact with Carl, her gaze serious. "Before this, have you known me to ever lie about anything?" He shook his head. "Then you have to trust my word when I say I will go back to the prison and get the picture for you. I promise, Carl."

The look on Delilah's face lifted his spirits a little that she was telling the truth, he had to just believe in her that it would happen. "Ok, fine. I believe you."

"I don't know how you're going to find it, neither one of us will go with you."

Delilah glanced at Rick, knowing he doubted her. "Then I know exactly who will." Without another word, she dashed out of Carl's room and to the stairs. She was on the third level when Rick finally caught up to her.

"Delilah, wait." Except she wasn't stopping, so he had no choice but to follow. "This is insane, Carl doesn't need the picture." Delilah stopped in her tracks and turned around.

"How could you say that? He absolutely does, and Judith! Don't you think they should have _something_?"

When they had first met, Delilah had told Rick that she was a well known segway artist, meaning that she could deflect any conversation, and it seems like she was trying to do that now. "Of course I do, but that doesn't mean it's worth you risking your life over."

"I'll be fine. They need a memento of their mother. I have so many of mine, including a small glimmer of hope that she's still alive somewhere. Carl and Judith have nothing right now, not even a picture. There's one an hour away, why not just get it?" Delilah had all the optimism in the world of retrieving the picture, but she also knew it was dangerous and was fearing for her life. Due to the fact that Rick wouldn't help her, she knew of one other person that would. He grabbed onto her shoulders, trying to get her to listen.

"I need you to listen to me, you can not go there or you'll get yourself killed." Rick was getting frustrated because she wasn't grasping the severity of the situation. He couldn't lose her, she needed to realize what she was wanting to do. Delilah put her hands on his face.

"You need to trust me. Carl does, and now he's counting on me. I won't let him down more than I may already have." She took off down the stairs, knowing Rick was still following her. If he was annoyed now, he would be pissed when he found out her plan.

_**INVENTORY RANGE**_

"This is stupid, man! You guys know Carol should be here, I mean-"

"Hey, Helter Skelter!"

Daryl, Maggie, Glenn, and Beth all turned around to see Delilah walking from the other side of the factory, with Rick trailing behind her. Daryl looked around and pointed at himself.

"Me?"

She nodded as she walked faster. "Yes, you. You wanna get your girl Carol? Take me to the prison first and you can go look for her as soon as we get back. It's my only offer." Delilah stopped in front of him and watched the others widen their eyes in shock, she could also hear Rick right behind her.

"What?!" He spun Delilah around to face him. "Delilah, have you lost your mind?!" She could tell he was angry, as well as the others questioning her proposal.

"Delilah, you said so yourself, Carol can't come here after what she did." Glenn said.

"What made you change your mind?" Maggie asked.

Delilah took a deep breath and turned to face the group, their reactions were beginning to creep up on her, even if they were expected. This whole situation also made her think of Carol. Maybe Rick and the others had dismissed her too quickly and should get to the bottom of this.

"Her circumstances, I want to talk to her and find out why she killed them. Maybe she's going through some kind of trauma due to her losses. Carol is a mother without her daughter, like my mom is now. Except for all I know, my mother might still be alive, and I'm sure she thinks the same of me, but Carol will never get that feeling with Sophia, just like Carl will never get it about Lori, either. If I think she's lying, I'll make her leave." Their faces relaxed a little bit, but they were still concerned.

"What about Tyreese? Did you think about what he'd do?" Glenn asked.

She nodded. "Yes, I have. I figured we'd cross that bridge when we get to it. I know this is hard to swallow, but I need you all to just believe in me that I know what I'm doing."

"Delilah, stop it, now. Not only do you want to risk your life, but now you want to put everybody else in danger by bringing Carol in?" This was the first time Rick had ever really gotten angry with her. While she hated the feeling, she felt like she had to go through with the plan.

"You all know I would _never _do anything to gamble the group's safety, I want to get to the bottom of this with her. Maybe they were already dead when she killed them. I promise if it doesn't add up, I will banish her."

"Why do you want to do this?" Daryl spoke up.

"I screwed up big time and I have to get something from there. Also, because you're all family, and now I feel like you're a part of mine as well."

Rick shook his head. "She didn't screw up. Let it go, Delilah." It was urgent that she comprehend his frantic warnings, but she refused to budge.

"No! Us being together amplified Carl's grief. We don't want to break up, I need to make this right to ease the tension on him. You're going to have to have a little faith in me also, Rick, because there won't be a single thing or person to make me change my mind. _I mean it_." The look in her eyes was all he needed to see and know that he couldn't stop her, and it crushed him.

"You just got back, Daryl, now you want to leave again? We can't lose you two to the prison. If you go there, it's a death sentence." Maggie stated. They had finally gotten their family reunited again, why would the two of them want to leave, especially when there was a strong possibility that they might not come back?

Beth nodded. "I agree with Maggie. Before Daryl and I left the prison, walkers swarmed through the gate. We killed as many as we could, then made a run for it. Who knows what it's like now?"

"It's a chance that has to be taken, a quid-pro-quo one at that, we both get something we want. We won't be going unarmed, I have a secret weapon I've been saving for a special occasion, and I think now is the time to bust it out. Daryl and I can take it on, we're both strong warriors." Delilah didn't want to be going with Daryl, but they both knew she needed him to go to the prison. Maybe he'd actually apologize and she could learn more about him as well.

"I'm in."

Delilah nodded. "Good, I'm glad. Get whatever you need and meet me out front in twenty minutes, you're driving." She turned and walked out, leaving Rick, Glenn, Maggie, and Beth looking forlorn while Daryl was smirking. What they didn't know was that Lizzie had been listening in one of the viewing rooms the whole time, and was shocked at what she heard. She ran to the playroom to find her sister and the other kids. "Delilah and Daryl are going back to the prison!"

_**JELLBANY PARKING LOT, THIRTY MINUTES LATER**_

The sky had become even foggier and darker since Beth and Daryl arrived almost three hours before, it set the unfortunate mood that everybody was in: Fear and worry. After Lizzie spilled the beans to the kids, she had gone and told Tyreese and Sasha, who then told Madison, which followed a screaming match with Delilah. In less than ten minutes, all of the adults and the children knew what was going on. Delilah made it clear that she would not be stopped from going, even if it meant she was going to die. When she was determined to see something through to the end, she didn't stop until getting the desired results. Persistence had always been one of her greatest attributes.

Everybody stood in a horizontal line next to the truck to say good bye. This trip was proving to be an unpopular one, and they had all pleaded with her not to go, but nothing was going to change it. Delilah held Judith in her arms, looking down on her after saying good bye to the others of her group.

"Good bye, baby angel. When I come back, I'll have something for you of your real mommy. I promise." She kissed the baby on the head and handed her to Beth. Judith started wailing in Beth's arms and kept reaching out for Delilah to pick her up again. "No, sweetheart, don't cry." She felt herself getting a little wobbly.

"DELILAH! Don't go!"

She looked down to find Taylee, Dominick, and Lucas hugging her ankles and legs with tears in their eyes. Their cute little faces only made it harder to leave. "I have to go, monkeys. I promise, I'll be back as soon as I can. If you're good while I'm gone, I'll perform _The Nutcracker Suite_ for you when I return, ok?"

Taylee sniffled. "We don't want you to leave!" They continued crying, as did Judith. Delilah never dealt well with crying children, it always made her depressed. She looked over at Caitlin, Caroline, and Beth. "Take them inside, please. I don't want them to see me leaving." The girls nodded, picking up the kids and leaving, their cries being heard until they were inside. Delilah took a deep breath and walked down the line, standing in front of Michonne, they smiled wanly at each other.

"I wish you were coming with me, Michonne. We're a lethal duo."

"Yeah, I know. That's why you have to come back in one piece, so we can keep it up."

Delilah smirked. "Good point." It had taken a while, but Michonne and Delilah had formed a strong bond and alliance, and had gotten to know each other on a deeper level.

"This trip is dangerous, but I don't discourage it, you're doing something really brave, even if everybody else thinks it's stupid." She surprised Delilah by giving her a hug. Delilah was a good person, and her practically sacrificing her life so two children would have a reminder of their mother only made her that much better.

"Thank you, I'm glad you're on my side about it."

After saying good bye to everybody, Daryl watched as Delilah said good bye to Tyreese, Sasha, Bob, and Matt. He observed how his group had such an emotional reaction over her. They had all become family to each other and considered Delilah one of their own, they genuinely cared for and loved her. _Maybe I should give her a chance after all, she could be deeper than a spoiled princess bitch._

Delilah walked up to Javier. The further down the line she got, the harder the good byes became. Carl and Rick were at the end, it would be the toughest of all. Javier had decided to get all dolled up in a long mint green dress with a long tawny colored wig and brightly colored makeup. Delilah couldn't help but smirk. "Back in your drag persona, I see?"

He rolled his eyes and waved his hand out at her. "Only for you, honey. You best be coming back because you're the only one that knows how to make me look like Jennifer Lopez instead of George Lopez." Delilah laughed, but she could see there were tears in his eyes.

"I promise. Don't cry, or your makeup will smudge. I'll be back before you know it, we'll celebrate by doing a musical mash-up, surprise me and pick out the songs while I'm gone." She knew that would make him smile. Even though Javier had a tendency to be overdramatic, he was one of the most kind hearted and compassionate people she had ever met in her life, she was glad to have a friend like him.

"You got it." They exchanged air kisses, Javier holding onto Matt as Delilah approached Madison. Madison couldn't even look at her, she was still angry and upset, but Delilah spoke anyway.

"Madison, I know you're mad at me and that you can't see it my way, but maybe you can understand what's going on in my head. This is more than lust with Rick. He's the first guy I've had feelings for since Billy. I need to make things right in Carl's eyes. Those kids have nothing left of their mother, this might ease the pain a little."

She finally looked up, her eyes filled with tears. "I know, Lila Loo. Stand by your man, you gotta do what you gotta do. Just be careful and stay strong." The girls exchanged a small smile with each other before doing their secret handshake that they did the day Rick and Carl were found.

Next was Glenn and Maggie, also with tears in their eyes. Delilah heavily sighed, trying everything not to cry. "Glenn." She wrapped one arm around his neck and the other around his back, only for him to give her an extra tight hug.

"I really wish you wouldn't leave, Delilah. I don't know if I ever told you this, but I see you as a little sister now. I feel protective over you, what if you guys don't come back?"

Delilah pulled away to see him crying. Seeing a man actually cry was something of a rarity, she vaguely remembered the few times her father cried, but they weren't over her, not like this. "If you believe in me, then you'll know I'll come back." She smiled, not wanting to reveal how freaked out she was, but she couldn't further worry the others, and walked up to Maggie, who pulled her in for a huge hug.

"Everything that Glenn said goes double for me. You made us whole again. Without you, we'll revert back to being broken."

All the loving words were making this so difficult, she almost didn't want to go, but Delilah knew she had to keep the promise to Carl. "We'll always be whole, even if one of us is gone. We've all lost somebody, but they're still in our hearts, just like your dad. I will return, but in case I don't," She put a hand on Glenn and Maggie's shoulder, looking them in the eye. "I want you to know that I adore you guys to pieces and that I value the friendship we've formed these past few months." That was all Glenn and Maggie needed to shed their tears, and Delilah pulled them in for a group hug.

Glenn looked over at Daryl, freely letting his tears fall. "Look out for Delilah, ok, bad ass?"

Daryl smirked and nodded. "Yeah, yeah. She'll be fine. Let's get this show on the road, Princess Bitch! This ain't Armageddon!"

She turned around and glared at him. "Ok, chill out! I'm almost done, don't get your dick in a knot!" Delilah groaned, this was going to be a long car ride. She gave Glenn a kiss on the cheek and hugged Maggie one last time.

"I'll do a prayer circle for you and Daryl as soon as you leave."

Delilah nodded. "That sounds great. You two, Madison, Michonne, and Rick are in charge until I get back." Even though Delilah was Jewish, she respected the other's beliefs in prayer. Only Rick and Carl were left, and she was slightly relieved to see Carl not crying at all, but wasn't sure if it was to keep up the strong front or because he didn't care. Delilah waited until he finally made eye contact with her.

"Carl, I know you're angry and that you feel betrayed, but I hope that one day you forgive me and that this makes up for it a bit. Everybody thinks I'm crazy for doing this, but I'm doing it for you because of how much you mean to me."

"Yeah, I get it. It's a lot to take in."

"I understand, it will all make sense soon enough. Whatever you do, don't be mad at your dad. Life is too short to be angry over something like this, and you're all you two have besides Judith, you have to love and help one another, ok?"

"Fine." He didn't feel like getting into too deep of a conversation with her, but Carl was taking in everything she was saying to him and knew Delilah meant well.

"Lock, pop, and shoot it? For old time's sakes?" She smiled hopefully. Carl hesitated, but soon found his fingers wrapped around hers. They pulled back and made their finger guns, nodding with the assertive smirk. "Thanks, kid." Delilah ruffled the hat, which he could never help but smile over.

Like Madison, Rick could not even look at Delilah, which made all the thoughts of what could happen at the prison become even louder in her head.

"I thought that by the time I got up here that I'd know exactly what to say to you, but I've got nothing."

He finally looked at her with pleading eyes of sorrow and disappointment. "Delilah, I am begging you, one final time. Please,_** DO NOT GO TO THE PRISON." **_

She knew he was going to beg again, and at this point, her once beating heart was now smashed into pieces from all the distress and woe. "I hope in the long run you'll be able to accept my reasons for doing this and-"

_**"YOU COULD DIE!"**_

His tone and volume practically made Delilah jump, this had become a day of firsts for all of them. It made her wonder if and when she did return if their relationship would be the same or if this was the end of them being together. His concern only made her worry for her life, but there was no turning back, she had to leave. She looked at him, her gaze still the same.

"Then I'll go out in a blaze of glory, baby." Delilah reached around behind her neck and unfastened her Phoenix necklace, pulling it off. For as long as anybody in both groups had known Delilah, they had never seen her without her sacred Phoenix necklace. She grabbed Rick's hand and opened it. "In the event that I don't come back," She placed the necklace in his hand and closed it up. "You'll always have something to remember me by." He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off by wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug. Delilah thought she was fighting hard earlier to hold tears in, it had quickly become an uproarious battle at this moment, they were literally brimming her eyelids as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She felt so safe in his embrace, she never wanted to leave, and it scared her not knowing if this was the last time she would be in his arms again or not.

Lacking a second thought, Delilah put her hands on Rick's face and pressed her lips to his, kissing him with every single fiber of passion and love in her body. If the others didn't have a feeling about them earlier, they all certainly knew now. Carl rolled his eyes, still disgusted.

He didn't care if everybody was watching, this might be the last time he ever kissed Delilah again, he wanted to savor it, and brought her waist closer to his. They both tuned out the world and just kissed. Surprisingly, the inevitable whispers, gasps, and hollers never came, everybody just looked on. Delilah could feel her tears falling, but when she pulled back and opened her eyes, she saw that Rick was actually crying as well, his striking blue eyes watering. Her hands still on his face, there was no better time than right now to say the words she had been holding in for so long.

"I love you."

She had finally said it, it was like a huge weight was lifted. As Rick opened his mouth to speak and started stammering, she cut him off, putting her finger against his lips. "Don't. Don't say it because I'm leaving or out of obligation. Think about your feelings, you'll know the right answer when it hits you. Whatever it is, don't let me be the last to know."

All Rick wanted to do was say it back, the anguish he was feeling was slowly subsiding with the happiness that she loved him, too. The feelings that he had been toying with for weeks were finally validated and he needed to say it back. He grabbed her by the hand.

"Delilah, I-"

"Good bye, Rick. You take my breath away."

With that, she walked backwards, letting her hand slip through his hold and watched as he tried to step out to her, which finally made her turn the other away and walk towards the truck. Delilah knew that if she looked back that she'd either turn to stone or run in his arms crying. If he did love her, he'd let her go, knowing that she'd come back because he believed in her. Delilah had to be strong for both of them, this was the first time she had ever left anybody she loved, she had always been the one left behind, and being on the other side was quite eye opening.

She hopped into the truck, where Daryl was already fastened in the driver seat. "Finally ready?" He asked gruffly.

Delilah nodded, not even looking over at him. "Yeah, yeah, let's get out of here before I change my mind."

"You got it."

Daryl turned on the car while Delilah put a CD in, she saw him roll his eyes as "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin started playing. "My truck, my rules. Just think about what you get at the end." They pulled out of the parking lot, Delilah buried her head in her knees and cried, not even looking in the mirror to see the others waving until they were out of sight.

Carl watched his dad, the last time he had gotten this emotional was when Lori had died, and that's when he knew that his dad really cared for Delilah. Rick heard the song playing as the car drove off, knowing it was for him, and could feel tears falling down his face. He was terrified for her, but a part of him knew that she would come back. Delilah was a Phoenix, _his _Phoenix, and she loved him.

_**SHE FINALLY SAID IT! WHAT A HEARTBREAKING SEND-OFF! THEY REALLY DO CARE ABOUT HER! WHAT DID WE THINK OF THIS CHAPTER? WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO DELILAH AND DARYL AT THE PRISON? WHAT IS THIS SECRET WEAPON SHE MENTIONED? WILL THEY MAKE IT BACK ALIVE AND IN ONE PIECE? WILL RICK TELL DELILAH HE LOVES HER, TOO? FIND OUT THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS AND MORE IN CHAPTER EIGHTEEN, COMING SOON!**_

_**BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE STORY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**_

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!**_


	18. ChapterEighteen:Free in the Dead WorldP1

**Hello world and my wonderful readers! How is everybody doing? **

**This chapter was interesting to write, the title is reflective of how Delilah and Daryl are free but going back to the prison, which is now a dead world.**

**Thank you very much for the reviews so far! I am close to reaching 100! If anybody has any ideas for the story or original characters, feel free to message me! I would love to hear them. Thanks to both SilverSun09, and Hey01ig, two of my FanFiction best friends! They helped me with this chapter and story, and are both so talented and awesome, you rock! Thanks again for everything. :) Be sure to check out their work, people!**

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NOR HAVE ANY AFFILIATIONS WITH THE WALKING DEAD FRANCHISE, JELLY BELLY, OR IT'S A SMALL WORLD. ALL PROPERTIES OWNED BY FRANK DARABONT AND AMC (TELEVISION SERIES), ROBERT KIRKMAN AND TONY MOORE (COMIC BOOK SERIES), DAVID KLEIN AND THE JELLY BELLY COMPANY, AND WALT DISNEY, RESPECTIVELY. I ONLY OWN MY OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS AND CHARACTERS.**_

_**Chapter Eighteen: The Free in The Dead World, Part One**_

_**They pulled out of the parking lot, Delilah buried her head in her knees and cried, not even looking in the mirror to see the others waving until they were out of sight. **_

_**Carl watched his dad, the last time he had gotten this emotional was when Lori had died, and that's when he knew that his dad really cared for Delilah. Rick heard the song playing as the car drove off, knowing it was for him, and could feel tears falling down his face. He was terrified for her, but a part of him knew that she would come back. Delilah was a Phoenix, his Phoenix, and she loved him.**_

_**FOURTY FIVE MINUTES LATER**_

Daryl had had to put up with Delilah's sad-sob playlist for almost an hour. Starting with "Take My Breath Away" and leading into "Fool to Cry" by The Rolling Stones, it wasn't too bad, at least she wasn't singing along to it and it prevented them from forcing conversation. She had really started crying when "Do You Realize?" by The Flaming Lips and "Cry" by Faith Hill played, but he had really had enough when "Lost In Your Eyes" by Debbie Gibson started playing.

"Alright, enough with this sad sack crap, missy. The more you cry, the more depressed you're gonna be." He turned off the radio, which caused Delilah to look over at him. She wasn't sure if he was being genuine or just a jerk, so she waited for him to say more. "I don't care if you cry yourself to sleep for a week when we get back, but for now, I need you focused. You keep saying you're a strong warrior and all that, time for you to put your money where your mouth is, none of this Miss California Waterworks shit."

Delilah took a deep yet shaky breath, calming herself down. Daryl did indeed have a point. "You're right. My whole life, I've been used to people leaving me, but I've never had to leave somebody before, it's harder than one could imagine, leaving behind people you care about." She wiped her tears away.

He looked over at her and scoffed. "You really are like those beauty queen bitches, mellow dramatic and all that shit. You're an hour away, it ain't like you're going to Mars."

"You don't even know me or what I've been through, so why don't you shut up?" Daryl may have been sexy, but he sure knew how to annoy the hell out of somebody.

"I don't, but I do know what you've been showing me for almost three hours, and it's a bitch. If you ask me, I think you should get over Rick and get with a real guy, like me. He's complex, that one, you best be moving on."

Delilah looked over at him, disgusted. How could he such a thing about Rick, _his friend?_ "Rick's a real man, more than you'll ever be, and I'm in love with him. What makes you think you'd ever have a shot with a girl like me? Maybe in your dreams."

Daryl's laughter only ticked her off more. "Yeah, right. You just think you're in love, but you ain't. Besides, he's a widower, you can't compete with his dead wife. No matter how good you are, she'll always have the one up on you. Plus, I'm a thirty year old piece of gold with a huge cock and got swagger to get any piece of tail I want."

_Sounds exactly like my mom about the widow thing. As far as his cock goes, I'll believe it when I see it, which won't be happening EVER. _"I know I can't, but I don't care, my feelings are real. He's nothing like the last guy I was with."

"The last guy you was with probably dumped you because you're a high maintenance and demanding spoiled princess bitch."

Delilah was a bit reluctant to open up to him about her story, but she figured maybe he'd shut the hell up if he had a better understanding of her, even if it was doubtful on his end. "A year and a half ago, my fiance left me for my sister, they abandoned me inside his family's ranch in Texas as soon as walkers swarmed it from a dead deer on the front porch. I may have been spoiled and high maintenance once upon a time, but I've changed now. Rick is the first guy I've had feelings for since my ex, and I know that they're genuine. More to the point, what the hell do you know about love anyway?"

Daryl looked over at Delilah, and actually felt kind of bad for being such a prick earlier. After hearing that brief tidbit, he felt like he had a better understanding of her.

"Just so happens that I was in love. My high school sweetheart, Darlene Dubrow."

She looked over at him with a puzzled look. "Daryl and Darlene? Sounds like a match made in heaven if you ask me. What went wrong? She realized what a redneck hick you are and found somebody better?"

_I guess I deserve that, but I ain't giving her the satisfaction of knowing. _"Not exactly. A couple years before the outbreak, Darlene went on spring break to Cancun with her girlfriends, she got shitfaced and fell sixteen stories off the hotel balcony, died of massive head trauma."

Delilah's mouth went agape, Daryl's expression had remained stoic the whole time, but his story simply broke her heart and made her resume crying. He rolled his eyes at the sound of her sobbing. "Again with the fucking crying? I told you to cut out the waterworks!"

"That's the most tragic, heartbreaking story I've ever heard! It's like something out of a movie!"

"Yeah, some Nicholas Sparks piece of shit romance. The part that it wouldn't include was that she was actually cheating on me and felt so guilty that the whole thing was on purpose." They looked over at each other, and she could see the pain on his face that he tried to hide. Delilah attempted to speak, but he cut her off. "I don't need no pity. It's life, shit happens. We lose people we love. I lost Darlene, Rick lost Lori, you lost your fiance and your sister, we all lose people. We can't dwell on it or we'd be dead. I was planning on asking her to marry me, glad I didn't, or else I would have married a lying, cheating tramp. I pawned off the ring and tricked out my bike. Best $500 I ever made in my life."

"Do you miss her at all?"

Daryl shrugged. "Course I do. Just cuz she was two faced don't mean she didn't mean something to me. I hate to sound like some sap, but the saying is true, you never forget your first love. Don't matter no more, she's gone and I deserve somebody better." He hadn't told the story about Darlene in a long time, not even anybody in his group knew, but he wasn't too surprised about how informal he was discussing her. When it first happened, he had holed himself up in his room for weeks, not seeing or talking to anybody, until Darlene's best friend Candy showed up and confessed that she was cheating on him. Out of anger and depression upon hearing the news, Daryl slept with her, and they continued being fuck buddies until she moved to Wyoming. After that, his love life was nothing more than a blur of weekly one night stands. Darlene had taken advantage of his heart, and jaded him so badly he was pretty sure he'd never want to give it to anybody again. _Love is for the weak pussies, it's what Merle always said, and it's the motto I'll go by for the rest of my days. _

Delilah could tell that Daryl was trying to act like a tough guy, but she was glad that he bared his soul a little for her, that they both opened up, because now they had a better understanding of one another. He looked over to find her staring at him, she had finally stopped crying, thank Christ. _Maybe she won't be such a pain in the ass after all, once I'm tapping it, at least, but until then… _"Enough about me and my past, let's just get some decent music in here so I don't hear fucking sissy girl crap when I'm killing walkers."

She smirked. "Whatever you say, Helter Skelter."

"Why do you call me that?"

Delilah shrugged. "I have no idea, it just seems fitting for you. Plus, I have a thing for nicknaming people after songs. I call Rick "Street Fighting Man" and he calls me "Tiny Dancer". She smiled, thinking back at Rick and wondered how he was doing, she missed him, but was somewhat dreading her arrival back to Jellbany, what if he didn't reciprocate her feelings? Things would become awkward, but at least she wasn't too afraid of dying at the prison, she and Daryl were in this together. The sooner they got out alive, the sooner they'd get what they wanted.

_**THE PRISON, TWENTY FIVE MINUTES LATER**_

Daryl pulled up near the end of the prison driveway, and it was even worse than Delilah imagined. The fence was torn open, there was a huge hole blown through one of the cell block walls, which was caused by the abandoned army tanker not too far away, it looked like a war zone. Rick was right, it was _swarmed _with walkers, and it made all the fear creep up in Delilah again. _Be strong, you have to get back home. _Daryl looked over and could sense that she was a little nervous. "You alright, Lawless and Lulu?"

"Huh?" She glanced at him. "Yes, I'm fine. How do you know Lawless and Lulu?"

"You said you like to nickname people after songs, so I figured I'd give you one. It was either that or "Crazy Bitch"."

Delilah scoffed. "I'm glad it wasn't that one. I do love Buckcherry though. You ready?" As a matter of fact, Delilah was a _HUGE _Buckcherry fan, it was rare to find anybody that even knew who they were. _Maybe he's not so bad after all. _

"I was born ready, babe. Bust out the secret weapons."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Cool it, I'm not your babe." They got out of the truck and opened the back, where Delilah pulled out two long shiny metal suitcases, she hadn't heard Daryl mumble "You wish you were." under his breath. When he saw what was in the suitcase, his jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Where the hell did you get these?!" He hadn't meant to react that way, but it was the best secret weapon one could have not only in a zombie apocalypse, but ever.

Delilah smirked to herself over Daryl's enthusiasm. "One of the only things my dad left me was his collection of war memorabilia. My sister had no interest in it, but my fiance did. They sure came in handy now." She pulled out two M1A1 AND M2A1 flame thrower tank backpacks with flame wands along with matching fire retardant suits and helmets. "Here, put these on. We can take them off when we get inside. They're heavy, so even if we're bitten, we'll be unharmed, but I think we should round the walkers to the front of the gate. That way, we can take them out all together."

"You sure that's a good idea? What if more come out from the woods or something?" They began to put on the suits over their clothes.

"These guns will make a human explode and their fire rate is half a gallon a second, I think we'll be just fine. You have the M1A1, which means that one gasoline tank is Napalm infused, that's the fuel, while the nitrogen tank is the propellant. Press the wand, stand back, and watch it work it's magic. Your effective fire range is sixty six feet while your maximum range is somewhere around one hundred fourty feet, but it won't matter since we'll be bringing these freaks to the front line. All that matters is to keep it away from your face and body. You know the drill, aim at the heads. Good luck, Helter Skelter." Delilah put the helmet on along with the M2A1 backpack. Daryl was impressed with her knowledge, but no way was he going to let up, he had to see how strong she was.

Delilah opened the car door and messed around with the CD player, rolling down all the windows and blasting the stereo to almost it's highest volume. Daryl groaned when the familiar tune of "It's A Small World" started playing. "Oh, fuck! Has anybody ever told you that you have the worst taste in music?"

She smirked. "I actually have incredible taste, we need a loud and obnoxious song that will draw attention. Quick, get on the hood!" They both hopped up as the walkers started filing out of the prison. Delilah was worried that she underestimated the amount, but she knew these flamethrowers were a sure thing as the walkers began to surround the truck. "Ready, aim, fire!"

"_**It's a world of laughter and a world of tears **_

_**It's a world of hopes and a world of fears**_

_**There's so much that we share **_

_**That it's time we're aware **_

_**It's a small world after all**_

Simultaneously, they both pressed their wands and huge flames began to pour out from the nozzles, making them smile as walker heads melted clear off their bodies. The mind invading song was barely audible, all they focused on was getting rid of these freaks, crossing over and firing in a U shape around the front of the truck, taking out the rest, but more were coming. "Alright, divide and separate!"

_**It's a small world after all**_

_**It's a small world after all **_

_**It's a small world after all **_

_**It's a small, small world **_

Delilah and Daryl jumped off the hood, stomping over the headless and officially dead nombies bodies to get to the rest. There were probably about thirty or so heading towards them, but that seemed to be the last of them. Daryl began hitting them in a zigzag pattern while Delilah got them to circle around her.

_**There is just one moon and one golden sun **_

_**And a smile means friendship to everyone**_

_**Though the mountains divide **_

_**And the oceans are wide**_

_**It's a small world after all**_

Just like at Target, she began spinning around, shooting off the wand, these freaks didn't even know what hit them as their faces melted and their heads exploded off of their heads. One tried to grab Delilah, but she kicked it to the ground and sprayed it's entire body. "Didn't anybody ever teach you not to mess with a flame throwing bitch?" She started laughing to herself, watching Daryl take out a few more before the land was still again. They looked around at all the decapitated walkers as the song played on.

_**It's a small world after all**_

_**It's a small world after all **_

_**It's a small world after all **_

_**It's a small, small world **_

Delilah frequented Disneyland at least twice a month when she was younger, and It's A Small World had always been one of her favorite rides regardless of the redundant tune. It was hard to believe a song that many deemed insufferable was now coming across as actually peaceful. They smiled triumphantly at the damage they had done, but uncertain if they were finished, there would most likely be more in the prison, but they had the trusty flamethrowers, they'd be ok. Daryl had watched Delilah fight, and it had left him captivated. _She's the first chick I can't stand and can't get enough of. _The song started from the beginning, making Daryl roll his eyes and stomp on a walker chest. "Gotta turn this fucking shit off!" Delilah laughed to herself as he ran back and turned down the volume before completely turning the truck off and walked back to her.

"Let's get to work. What cell blocks were you guys living in? I think we should grab whatever we find, it'll be easier that way than sorting everything out since we want to get back as soon as we can."

Daryl nodded. "Got it. Hey, it's my bike!" He ran over to his sacred chopper, leaving Delilah by herself. "Daddy's back for you, baby."

_Guys and their toys, some things never change. _

_**CELL BLOCK C**_

The inside of Cell Block C reminded Delilah of when she was in San Francisco and had taken a tour of the famous Alcatraz prison. Cold and dark with bleak grey walls and railings, walker remains scattered all over with pools of blood, the place was drenched in fear and death. Apart from the overload of walkers, she now understood why nobody wanted her to go. It was depressing and dangerous, a painful reminder of losses and births, as well as the last place they were all together and had been torn apart.

_In and out, remember that. Grab whatever you see. The sooner you get it out, the sooner you can leave and go back to the others. Back to Rick._

Delilah took a deep breath, one that she soon regretted due to the overwhelming smell of decaying bodies. She was about to gag when she heard a noise that sounded like crying.

_Someone's here._

**_OMG! WHO IS IN THE PRISON?! WHAT DID WE THINK OF THIS CHAPTER, DO DELILAH AND DARYL SEEM TO BE BONDING A BIT? WHAT ABOUT HIS STORY OF DARLENE? I LOVED THE FLAMETHROWER BIT! FIND OUT EVERYTHING AND MORE IN CHAPTER NINETEEN, THE FREE IN THE DEAD WORLD, PART TWO, COMING SOON!_**

_**BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE STORY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**_

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND SPREAD THE WORD! NO FLAMES!**_


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